Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift the matcha powder into a small bowl to remove any lumps—this ensures even distribution of matcha flavor throughout your cookies. Have all ingredients at room temperature, especially the eggs, as this helps create a smoother, more emulsified dough that bakes more evenly.

In a large mixing bowl, melt the butter gently (either by microwaving in 15-second intervals or letting it sit at room temperature). Once melted, stir in both the white sugar and brown sugar, mixing until well combined. Let the mixture cool for 2-3 minutes—this prevents the eggs from scrambling when you add them next and helps achieve a better cookie texture. I find that slightly cooled butter-sugar mixture creates cookies with a more tender crumb.

Add the room-temperature eggs to the cooled butter-sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla essence and almond extract, mixing until the mixture is pale and slightly fluffy, about 1-2 minutes of mixing. This aerating step helps incorporate air into the dough, which creates a lighter, more tender cookie.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sifted matcha from Step 1, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisking the dry ingredients together ensures the matcha, leavening agents, and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour, preventing pockets of baking soda or matcha in your finished cookies. I like to whisk this mixture for about 30 seconds to fully incorporate everything.

Pour the dry ingredient mixture from Step 4 into the wet ingredient mixture from Step 3, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Don't overmix—stop as soon as you don't see any streaks of flour. Overmixing develops gluten and creates tough, dense cookies instead of tender ones.

Fold the white chocolate chips into the dough using a spatula, stirring gently until evenly distributed. Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring spoon, portion the dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. These cookies will spread slightly as they bake, so adequate spacing prevents them from baking together.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 325°F until the edges are just set but the centers still look slightly underdone—they should be pale green and soft. Remove from the oven and immediately tap the baking sheet firmly on the counter 2-3 times; this helps the cookies set with a tender, chewy center and slightly crispy edges. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This resting period is crucial because it allows the cookies to firm up just enough to move without falling apart, while still maintaining that perfect soft texture inside.