A piped butter cookie flavored with mugwort, ssuk, 쑥, powder. An unconventional twist to a classic recipe.
How the world has changed in the matter of weeks! We had a baby on the first of December and we couldn’t be happier or more tired right now 🤪. We chose to keep the gender a surprise–although my husband and I both felt strongly that we were having a boy–and surprised we were! We had a baby girl and we named her Evan ☺️.
While still pregnant I created two holiday cookie recipes that I had planned on posting about before giving birth. But Evan decided to come a little early and so my do-ahead plans were derailed 😆. But I’m still determined to share these two recipes because I think some of you will really enjoy them. I’ll do my best to sound coherent, but please excuse my postpartum brain…I’m a bit sleep deprived and still adjusting to life with a newborn!
The first recipe I’m sharing is a classic butter cookie or sablé viennois flavored with mugwort, ssuk, or 쑥.
What are sablés viennois?
Sablés viennois are buttery cookies that are similar to spritz cookies. The soft dough is piped into shapes instead of being cut or pressed. The texture of these cookies is sandy with a soft bite.
What is mugwort, ssuk, or 쑥?
Mugwort is an herb in the daisy family and has a sage-like aroma and slightly bitter flavor. In Korea, it’s oftentimes used as as an ingredient in rice cakes, but is also brewed into a tea or cooked in soups.
Sablés viennois are classic cookies that are perfect to include in a holiday treat tin. The addition of mugwort in my version is a bit unconventional, but the flavor is quite subtle and comes through slightly as an aromatic at the end. If you’re looking to break away from the more traditional flavor profiles of this time of year, may I suggest these mugwort butter cookies?
More holiday baking recipes:
Matcha Shortbread Trees
Sparkly Double Chocolate Cookies
Rosemary Shortbread
Matcha Shortbread with Pistachios and Cranberries
Chestnut Macarons
Mugwort, Ssuk, 쑥 Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: About 24 (depends on size)
- Category: Cookie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Description
A piped butter cookie flavored with mugwort, ssuk, 쑥, powder. An unconventional twist to a classic recipe.
Ingredients
14 tablespoons (196 g) butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoons (1.5 g) salt
2/3 cup (80 g) powdered sugar
1 (30 g) large egg white
1 3/4 cup (210 g) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons (6 g) mugwort powder, ssuk, 쑥가루*
White chocolate (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F or 165 degrees C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare a pastry bag with a medium-sized star tip.
2. In a medium bowl cream the butter with a whisk until smooth and creamy. Mix in the salt. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the egg white and mix until incorporated.
3. Switching to a rubber spatula, sift half the flour into the butter mixture and combine. Once almost all the flour has been incorporated, sift in the rest of the flour. Then add the mugwort powder and mix until combined.
4. Transfer the cookie dough into the prepared pastry bag. Pipe the dough into desired shapes and swirls, leaving about 1.5 inches or 3.75 cm between each cookie.
5. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the bottoms have started to turn golden. Remember to rotate baking sheets halfway through baking. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
6. Once cooled, dip in melted white chocolate and sprinkles if using. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
Notes
*Substitute with matcha powder if you can’t find or don’t want to use mugwort powder. Start by adding 1 teaspoon of matcha and add more to taste.
Keywords: mugwort, butter cookies, sables viennois, 쑥가루 쿠키, christmas cookies, christmas baking
Aga says
Hmm, mine came out being REALLY REALLY bitter – not edible. Wonder if the mugwort I have is different than ssuk.
Jessica says
Aga- Oh no! Your suspicions may be right or your mugwort powder may be a lot more concentrated than mine. The cookie should just have a hint of mugwort taste and should not be bitter at all.