Yes you can cook with matcha. It has become very popular in the West to use matcha in other forms besides in it’s traditional form as a tea. Matcha is used in desserts, drinks and more. I love baking and making snacks and treats and sharing them. I have been trying different matcha recipes and modifying other recipes to incorporate matcha and a matcha version. Below are a few recipes and ways of using matcha that I have tried. In the references there are sites and resources with many more recipes using matcha.
In the pictures above, from the top left hand corner, we have just straight matcha, matcha with almond milk, and at the bottom, matcha chia pudding.
Matcha chia pudding
Ingredients:
- 1 cup milk (almond, coconut)
- 1/4 c chia seeds
- 1 tsp matcha powder
Directions:
- MIx chia seeds, match and milk together. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Pour mixture into containers and seal. Shake containers up so that chia seeds don’t settle.
- Let site in refridgerator over night.
You can eat it just like that the next day or add things to it like nuts, berries, fruit, chocolate, anything.
Straight Matcha Green Tea
When I first tried matcha I treated it like a hot chocolate powder and just put some in a cup of hot water and starting stirring. It wasn’t all that great and didn’t taste like hot chocolate, why would it? It’s green tea! So I decided I didn’t like matcha. Years later I tried it again but this time I googled how to make matcha, and sure enough some instructions popped up. The jist of all the instructions I read were as follows:
- Put a tsp or 1/2 tsp of matcha powder into the matcha bowl.
- Add a bit of hot water, just enough to be able to stir the matcha powder into a think paste like consistency.
- Once you have that mixed matcha and water “paste”, add more hot water until you get the consistency you want.
There seem to be slightly different types or grades of matcha, some yielding more smoother beverages than others. There are no flavoured matchas which are fun.
Matcha Latte
The first way I made a matcha lattee was following steps 1 and 2 for Straight Matcha Green Tea above but at step 3 instead of just adding water, I added some hot water and some milk. “some” being determined by me and how milky and creamy I wanted the drink. I have used regular 2% milk but also almond milk. Some recipes add sweeteners.
Matcha Avocado Brownies with Matcha Avocado Frosting
Ingredients
- 300 g white chocolate chopped or chips
- 2 tbsp Coconut oil
- 2 medium hass avocados pitted and peeled
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powder vanilla pudding mix+ matcha powder
- 1/2 cup less 1 Tbsp. coconut flour
For the Avocado Frosting
- One medium sized hass avocado pitted and peeled
- 3 Tbsp matcha powder
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line the base and sides of a 9 x 13 in pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang.
- Put the dark chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl set over simmering water, without it touching the water.
- Melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth then remove from heat and set aside.
- Place the avocado into a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth.
- Stir the avocado, honey and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate.
- Next, add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is well mixed before adding the next.
- Stir in the coconut flour and cocoa powder until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread to cover the pan and fill the corners. Smooth the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch.
- Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan before lifting the brownie from the pan.
Directions For the Avocado Frosting
- Place frosting ingredients in a food processor or blender along with the matcha powder and maple syrup.
- Process/Blend, scraping down the sides as needed until very smooth.
- Add more matcha powder or maple syrup if needed to taste.
- Spread over completely cooled brownies.
- Cut the brownie into 24 pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Green Tea White Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 10g matcha powder
- 6 oz white chocolate
- 6 tbsp butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat oven at 350. Grease and flour an 8×8 baking pan.
2. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the butter and white chocolate and heat at thirty second intervals until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool. (about 10 minutes)
3. Stir in eggs and matcha powder until combined, then add flour, vanilla, and almond extract just until incorporated. Lastly stir in almonds and white chocolate chips.
4. Pour into prepared pan and spread into even layer. Bake about 20 – 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut and enjoy.
Matcha Green Tea Lemon Bars
prep time: 20 minutes / cook time: 1 hour (must also be chilled for ~ 4 hours) / makes 9 – 12
Shortbread Crust
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar (plus extra for dusting on top of finished bars)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Matcha Lemon Filling
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Aiya Cooking Grade Matcha
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a 9″ x 9″ brownie pan with parchment paper, leaving a few inches hang-over on two sides to act as handles for pulling out the finished bars.
- In the body of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, confectioner’s sugar, salt, and lemon zest and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse to cut in the butter until a crumbly dough forms. Use your hands to press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until just lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.*
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and matcha. Add the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Pour over finished shortbread crust and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until the center is set.
- Place the pan on a wire rack on the counter and let cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator to finish setting. Once firm, remove the bars from the pan and cut into 9 or 12 squares before dusting with powdered sugar. Serve immediately. These will remain fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container on the counter.
There many other ways to cook with matcha. I’m going to slowly continue baking and cooking and trying new ways of using matcha and tea in recipes. Whatever I come up with, will be posted up here. Until then, have a look at some of the links below.
References:
- Matcha Green Tea Lemon Bars, probablythis.com, URL: http://www.probablythis.com/blog/matcha-green-tea-lemon-bars/4/5/2016?rq=lemon
- Green Tea White Chocolate Brownies, dailydelicious.blogspot.ca, URL: http://best-receipes.blogspot.ca/2012/06/green-tea-white-chocolate-brownies.html?m=1
- DIY Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte, gimmedelicious.com, URL: https://gimmedelicious.com/2018/03/14/diy-iced-matcha-latte/
- 9 Healthy Matcha Recipes to Kickstart 2018, aiya-america.com, URL: https://www.aiya-america.com/blog/8-healthy-recipes-to-kick-start-2018/
- 17 Amazing Recipes You’ll Drool Over, Morin, Kate, Jan 2017, URL: https://dailyburn.com/life/recipes/matcha-recipes-matcha-latte/
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