Matcha’s fine ground makes it an ideal ingredient in many dessert recipes. The tea powder adds a pale green tint and a tea flavor that ranges from subtle to bold to any number of treats. It’s especially good in baked goods and dairy desserts. Not sure how or where to get started? Try out a few of these:
Matcha Matcha Milkshake
It doesn’t get easier than this. Start with two scoops of green tea ice cream — which you can find in any Asian market and most grocery stores — in your blender. Add anywhere from one teaspoon to one tablespoon unsweetened matcha powder. Pour half a cup of milk over this and buzz till smooth. Serve as is, or garnish with the matcha sugar cookies below.
Matcha Sugar Cookies
These delicate cookies are the perfect foil for a cup of tea. They also make an elegant hostess gift.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp Ujido Matcha powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, egg and almond extract until fluffy and combined. Stir in dry ingredients until just blended. Don’t overmix, as this can make your cookies tough. Roll cookie dough into loaves and chill for two hours.
After dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Cut dough into 1/4 inch slices and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies’ edges are lightly browned. Cool for a few minutes on cookie sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
The cookies can be served plain, with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar or matcha powder or with a thin coat of royal icing.
Making Your Own Sweet Matcha Treats
Matcha can add a unique twist to many of your tried and true dessert recipes. In general, matcha works best when it is not vying with other strong flavors. Adding green tea flavor to chocolate or spice recipes can result in a muddied flavor where no one note stands out. Instead, pick simple, single note bases like vanilla, orange or almond for a matcha kick. A few types of recipes where matcha shines:
- Panna Cotta. Dissolve the matcha along with your milk or cream.
- Cakes. White, yellow and vanilla cakes can get an exotic twist from matcha. Add anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon of unsweetened powder with your dry ingredients.
- Smoothies. Start with a base of milder ingredients like bananas, almond milk or yogurt, then add a spoonful of matcha for flavor and an antioxidant boost.
Once you start experimenting, you’ll find more and more sweet uses for this flavorful and healthful ingredient. Let your creativity soar and start treating your guests to desserts that feature this amazing ingredient in surprising new ways.