Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

Cut the unsalted butter into smaller pieces (so that they will soften faster). It’s important to soften the butter before we start.

Step 3

Separate salt pickled cherry blossoms into 2 groups: good flowers for decoration on the cookies, and 1 Tbsp of damaged flowers for blending in the cookie dough.

Step 4

To remove saltiness, soak each group of flowers in water (separately) for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5

Squeeze water out from 1 Tbsp of damaged flowers and pat dry with a paper towel.

Step 6

Then mince the flowers and set aside.

Step 7

Pick up the good flowers from the water, shape the petals nicely, and place the each flower on paper towel. Cover with another sheet of paper towel and gently pat dry. Set aside.

Step 8

Sift the cake flour and add the salt in the same bowl.

Step 9

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.

Step 10

Add the ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar and blend until soft and light. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Step 11

Add the egg yolk and mix well until combined.

Step 12

Gradually add 1 cup cake flour (120 g) and blend until the dough is smooth.

Step 13

Add minced cherry blossoms and blend well.

Step 14

Because the dough will be still too soft to roll into a log shape, cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or take out the dough from the bowl and wrap with plastic wrap) and keep in the fridge for 1 hour.

Step 15

Shape the dough into a cylinder, about 1.5 inches (4 cm) diameter.

Step 16

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours. Optional; you can place the dough on a bed of rice while chilling. It’ll help keep the dough in nice cylindrical shape, so your cookie slices won’t be flat on one side.

Step 17

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking liner.

Step 18

Remove the plastic wrap, and then wrap around the dough with a damp paper towel so that the dough will be slightly wet. Or of course, you can use traditional method and brush egg wash on the dough (but damp paper towel method works every time for me).

Step 19

In a tray that fits the cookie dough, sprinkle the white sparkling sugar. Remove the damp paper towel and roll the cookie log on the sparkling sugar.

Step 20

With a sharp knife, slice the dough into ⅓ inches (7 mm)-thick rounds. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving about 1” (2.5 cm) between rounds.

Step 21

Gently press down the reserved cherry blossom and decorate on the cookie rounds. Tip: If the cookies are left out too long, place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes until the cookies are chilled (or the freezer for a short time); otherwise, the butter melts too quickly in the oven and the cookies will be flat.

Step 22

Bake the cookies at 350ºF (170ºC) for about 15 minutes, or until the edge of the cookies start to get golden brown.

Step 23

Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes; then carefully transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Step 24

You can keep the cookies in an airtight container and store at a cool place for at least 4 days. You can also freeze the unbaked logs of dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 months. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before cutting and baking. Do not let the dough fully defrost.