Sakura Sugar Cookie Recipe

This simple recipe for sugar cookies with sakura blossoms comes from Gabriela Sorgenfrey (whose Instagram account is filled with her exploration of tea and beautiful Japanese wagashi sweets). We hope you try this recipe out, and if you post your version on Instagram, tag us and Gabriela on Instagram

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups flour 480 grams, sifted
• 1/3 cup corn starch (40 grams)
• 3/4 tsp salt (4 grams)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (227 grams)
• 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)
• 30 grams of salt pickled Sakura blossoms.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sift your flour, corn starch and salt in a large bowl. Give it a whisk.
2. In your standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together, until it turns out light creamy yellow.
3. Add the eggs while mixing. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
4. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
5. Pour in the flour mixture and mix until everything is well incorporated.
6. Put the dough in a plastic bag, flatten it together, then chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour, so it firms up.
7. Once the dough is chilled, place it on a rolling matt, sprinkle with flour and roll out with a rolling pin. Move the dough around so to prevent it from sticking.
8. Use any cookie cutter of your choice to cut out your cookies. Take away extra scraps to re-roll for more cookies.
9. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 350F for 12 minutes.
10. You can divide your dough and use only the desired amount, wrap the rest in Saran and put it in your refrigerator inside an airtight container.
11. The Sakura blossoms need to be put on two cups of boiling water for 5 minutes, ( so all the salt will be removed) then remove them from water and place them in a piece of paper towel.
12. You can use the blossoms to decorate your cookies before placing them in the oven, just press gently the flowers on the cookie.
13. They can also be sliced in tiny pieces and add to the dough until they are well incorporated, roll and cut the cookies.