Green Tea Sables

Directions

1. 1
   Remove the butter from the refrigerator and leave it on the counter while prepare the other ingredients.
2. 2
   You want the butter to be cool but pliable.
3. 3
   You can crush the tea with a mortar and pestle or you can put it between pieces of parchment or wax paper and crush with the bottom of a glass.
4. 4
   Any way you do it, you want to end up with enough crushed tea to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons.
5. 5
   Put the tea, sugar and salt in a large bowl and, using your fingertips, rub the ingredients together until you smell the aroma of the tea.
6. 6
   Add the flour and stir everything together to mix well.
7. 7
   Cut the butter into 16 pieces.
8. 8
   Drop them into the bowl, toss with your fingertips just to coat the pieces and then set to work rubbing the butter into the flour mixture to make a soft dough that will stick together when you press it between your fingers.
9. 9
   Knead the dough gently to work it into a ball and then divide the ball in half.
10. 10
    Shape each piece of dough into a log about 7 inches long.
11. 11
    Take care that the logs are solid-it's easy to end up with hollows (you can feel them), which will turn into holes in the cookies.
12. 12
    Wrap the logs and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours, or freeze for at least 1 hour.
13. 13
    When you're ready to bake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
14. 14
    Sprinkle some raw, sanding or granulated sugar on the counter and roll the logs in it, just to coat the exterior.
15. 15
    Trim the ends of the logs if they're ragged, then slice into rounds that are 1/3 inch thick.
16. 16
    Put the cookies on the baking sheets, at least 1 inch apart.
17. 17
    Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, or until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and bottom but still pale on top.
18. 18
    Let the cookies cool on the sheets for a few minutes, then transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature.