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Celebrate Hinamatsuri with these cute and easy Japanese butter cookies. These bite-sized cookies are buttery and crispy, with a touch of sweetness.
Hinamatsuri, or Girls’ Day, is coming up on March 3rd. It’s a Japanese holiday that celebrates the health and happiness of girls.
These bite-sized, sakura (cherry blossom) shaped cookies are the perfect treat for Hinamatsuri. They are delicious, crispy, buttery, and just slightly sweet.
Fun Facts About Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day):
- Hinamatsuri is a Japanese festival celebrating girls. During this time, parents pray for the happiness and health of their daughters.
- Although it’s a national holiday, families without young girls may not celebrate it.
- Intricate Hina Ningyo dolls are displayed in homes.
- Special foods, such as amazake (sweet drink made from fermented rice), Hina arare (sweet rice crackers), and Chirashizushi (a type of sushi) are eaten during parties leading up to this day.
- Hinamatsuri treats are often colored pink, white and green. Pink represents peach or cherry blossoms, white represents the snow, and green represents the new growth of spring. The colors are the perfect representation of early spring, which is when this festival is held.
Celebrating Girls’ Day in Hawai’i
Girl’s Day has made it’s way into local Hawaiian culture because of the large Japanese and Okinawan populations that live there. However, it’s celebrated a little differently.
Mochi is traditionally eaten on this day, and girls (and women) get special treatment. When I was in school, the boys would have to put up the girls’ chairs at the end of the day. Men will often treat their female friends or coworkers to lunch, or offer other kind gestures. Girls usually receive small gifts or money from their families.
How do you make these cute and easy Girls’ Day cookies?
Ingredients:
- 1 2/3 cups of all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- red and green food coloring
Step 1: Using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer.
Step 2: Add the egg and vanilla, and whisk until fully combined.
Step 3: Add the flour and baking powder and gently mix until the dough comes together. Use a spoon or spatula if mixing by hand, or switch to the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer.
Step 4: Divide the dough into thirds (about 2/3 cups each). Leave one portion of the dough as is. Then, color the other two portions red and green by using a few drops of food coloring and kneading it into the dough.
Step 5: Wrap each ball of dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350º F.
Step 6: Remove the dough from the refrigerator, then roll it out to 1/4″ thickness. Use a small cherry blossom cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and place them about an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (This is a fun part of the baking process to get your kids involved in!)
Step 7: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Cool the cookies before serving or storing them in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes: This recipe is adapted from Just One Cookbook’s Butter Cookies recipe.
I used salted butter, but the original recipe calls for unsalted butter. I think it’s safe to say you can use whatever you have on hand.
The cherry blossom cookie cutter that I used comes in this set. You can use a different one (or even cut the cookies into different shapes). If you use a larger cutter, the cookies will need to bake for longer, up to 20 minutes.
Try these other Girls’ Day crafts and recipes!
- DIY Hinamatsuri Dolls with Free Templates
- DIY Japanese Fans for Girls’ Day (Hinamatsuri)
- Chichi Dango (Mochi)
Girls’ Day Cookies (Hinamatsuri)
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- red and green food coloring
Instructions
- Using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and whisk until fully combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder and gently mix until the dough comes together. Use a spoon or spatula if mixing by hand, or switch to the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer.
- Divide the dough into thirds (about 2/3 cups each). Leave one portion of the dough as is. Then, color the other two portions red and green by using a few drops of food coloring and kneading it into the dough.
- Wrap each ball of dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350º F.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, then roll it out to 1/4″ thickness. Use a small cherry blossom cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and place them about an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (This is a fun part of the baking process to get your kids involved in!)
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Cool the cookies before serving or storing them in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe is adapted from Just One Cookbook’s Butter Cookies recipe.
- I used salted butter, but the original recipe calls for unsalted butter. I think it’s safe to say you can use whatever you have on hand.
- The cherry blossom cookie cutter that I used comes in this set. You can use a different one (or even cut the cookies into different shapes). If you use a larger cutter, the cookies will need to bake for longer, up to 20 minutes.
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