Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Green Tea Butter Frosting

Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Green Tea Butter Frosting

The Matcha Green Tea Powder in these cupcakes and frosting make these baked goods a healthy way to have dessert. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.I've been enamored with Matcha Green Tea powder for a few years. I've used it in many meals, catering menus and food gifts. In this blog I've posted recipes for Matcha Green Tea Donuts, Green Tea Croquembouche, and Ice Cream Bombe. I also contributed a recipe for Matcha Green Tea Marshmallows in the cook book to benefit Japan's rebuilding, called Peko Peko.

Recently I made these Matcha Green Tea Mini-Cupcakes for a "Hollywood Benefit" and topped them with edible gold for a little glamour. Then, oops, I made a few too many, what will I ever do with the extra? I guess I'll have to just keep them here in case someone at home (ME) would want one (SEVERAL) for lunch (and ALL DAY.) It's okay, they're a "healthy" dessert. Sorta. Here's the true healthy part:

Matcha Green Tea is a special crafted tea from Japan. It is grown in an elaborate process involving tender plants covered at a certain time to protect the chlorophyll and keep the leaves soft and dark green. Then it's steamed, dried and ground by stone (and sometimes machine) to create the fine brilliant green powder. Matcha Green Tea is not just tea made from brewing the leaves in water, but you are actually drinking the powdered tea leaves, so the benefits are multiplied. Matcha is full of antioxidants, nutrients, fiber and chlorophyll. It can be used as a tea, or as an ingredient for baking, sauces and other drinks.

Matcha has a long history in Japan that includes traditional ceremonies and the correct way to whisk and serve Matcha Green Tea. As with all teas, there are degrees or grades of Matcha based on the age and processing of the ground tea leaves.Many people drink Matcha Green Tea every day. If you have never tried it, or think you didn't enjoy it the first time, keep one rule in mind: Preparation is crucial. Like all fresh quality tea, the temperature of the water, the timing of the brew and the handling of the preparation can make the difference between a delicious cup of tea or a bitter misunderstanding of the libation.As luck would have it, these were also made just in time for this month's LET'S LUNCH bunch. The theme is GREEN and you can't get much greener than Matcha Green Tea Powder. My growing group of virtual lunch pals from all across the globe have even more inventive GREEN food in store for you, so check them out on twitter at #LetsLunch (and a list to be here soon):

Monday Morning Cooking Club - Avocado Dip
A Cook and Her Books - Green Bean Soup
Cowgirl Chef - Notos Pesto
Hapa Mama - How To Brew a Better Pot of Tea
Spice Box Travels - Eat More Kale Chips
Burnt Out Baker - Even Greener Green Chorizo
Wok Star - Honey Ginger Wok Brussel Sprouts
Zest Bakery - Pandan Tapioca with Coconut Cream
Geo Fooding - Asparagus with Poached Egg
Maria's Good Things - Brussel Sprouts Slaw
Joe Yonan - Winter = Wood

Recipe: Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes
(makes about 48 mini-cupcakes)

2 cups Flour
1/2 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces Butter (soft or room temperature)
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 Eggs + 1 Egg Yolks
2/3 cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Matcha Green Tea

1) In a bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Hold.
2) In a cup, mix the milk and Matcha together. Hold.
3) In a Mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.
5) Add the flour mixture and the milk/tea mixture to the batter, alternating and beating well after each one.
6) Spoon out into cupcake papers placed in muffin baking tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes (a little less if making mini-cupcakes)Recipe: Matcha Green Tea Butter Frosting

1 Cup Butter (2 sticks) soft
1/4 Cup Cream
4 Tablespoons Matcha Green Tea
4-5 Cups Powdered Sugar

1) Mix the Matcha with the Cream into a paste.
2) Beat the butter until light and smooth, then add the Matcha paste.
3) Sift the Powdered Sugar and beat into the butter mixture 1 cup at a time until it reaches the spreading consistency desired.

Sweet Potato Tea Bars and High Tea at Montage Hotel, Los Angeles

Almost every culture in the world has a tradition or relationship to TEA. So many people have stories about family gatherings, or moments with special people spent over a cup (or glass) of tea.

I grew up in the southern part of the United States and my relationship to tea was a tall glass of "sweetened ice tea". In fact, where I grew up you would have to ask the server if you wanted tea that was not brewed with a lot of sugar in it already. A cup of hot tea was usually made by the cup with a string attached bag of Lipton. It would be left in the cup too long which meant more Teddy Bear honey was needed.

Sweet Potato Tea Bars

If I went to a friend's house where they poured a cup of tea from a pot, with fresh tea leaves inside I assumed they were rich or from England.
I was in college before I was introduced to the whole "going to tea" or "taking tea" or "having High Tea" delightful pleasure. Since then, I seek out places that serve a great Tea.

For a couple years, I worked with a stylish Tea Salon in Los Angeles where I had the chance to learn about tea and developed many recipes that used tea as an ingredient or infused with the flavors. Our specialty was World Teas. We broke the mold of just the proper English Tea by creating recipes inspired by different countries and their flavors.

If you read my blog often, you know there are several recipes using tea to enhance the flavor base (ie. Cowboy Smokey Tea Tomato Jam, Tea Poached Shrimp Summer Rolls, Stove Top Smoked Fish, Green Tea Croquembouche, Matcha Green Tea Doughnuts. )

If I could pass on just 3 important ideas about tea it would be these:

1) Using real tea, not old flakes in a stringed bag, makes all the difference in the world.
2) Water temperature can make or break the flavor and the true taste of the tea.
3) Don't over brew - it's the same thing as burning food and that's why it taste bad.

When I have visitors to California, or visit a friend's city I almost always suggest going to a tea in the area. There is something very replenishing about sharing a plate of scones, a couple mini-sandwiches and tiny desserts while chatting over warm and fragrant tea pots.This month, my online Lets Lunch Bunch has the theme of High Tea for us to share across the miles in our virtual lunch date. When my daughter and a friend from Italy were here, we took the opportunity to seek inspiration by having tea at the exquisite Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. The room was quiet (until we started giggling and sharing stories) and the food was delicate, but plentiful. In case you are thinking this is just a "Ladies" tradition, there were more men in the room than ladies the day we were visiting. There were several obvious business meetings going on around the room, a family stopping for a breather during their busy day, and a couple who sounded like they were on a first date (not that I was listening.)When I returned home and pondered how I could combine the proper tea fare I had partaken in during the afternoon, yet give a nod to my much more casual background. I came up with Sweet Potato Tea Bars.Sweet Potatoes, packed with good healthy nutrients, make a good combo to the antioxidants in tea. The creaminess goes so well with a hearty smokey black, yet the earthiness pairs well with a grassy green tea. Also, they're just damn good.Tea is one of earth's most natural healing liquids. I recommend drinking more of it. Do it slowly. Do it often. Do it with people you love.

Also: Check out all of the inspired High Tea ideas with the Lets Lunch pals:

Charissa‘s Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches with Honey Mustard, Tomatoes & Basil at Zest Bakery

Emma‘s Brown Sugar Shortbreads With Hawaiian Jam at Dreaming of Pots and Pans

Grace‘s Taiwanese Sandwiches at HapaMama

Karen‘s Saskatoon Berry Tartlets at GeoFooding

Linda‘s Mesquite Hemp Cocoa at Free Range Cookies

Linda‘s Singapore-Style Ginger Tea & Kaya (Coconut Jam) Toast at Spicebox Travels

Lisa‘s Little Lemon Meringue Tarts at Monday Morning Cooking Club

Mai‘s Cougar Gold & Shallot Shortbread at Cooking in The Fruit Bowl

Patrick‘s Welsh Rarebit at Patrick G. Lee

Rashda‘s Spiced Chickpea & Sweet Potato Tidbits at Hot Curries & Cold Beer

Rebecca‘s Millionaire’s Shortbread at Grongar Blog

Steff‘s Lemon-Lime Shortbread Cookies at The Kitchen Trials

Join us next time, have lunch with us online. Go to twitter and put in the hashtag (#letslunch) and leave us word you'd like to join. We're growing with every lunch. :D

Recipe: Sweet Potato Tea Bars

Crust-
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter (6oz.)
2/3 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

1) Mix the crust ingredients in a large bowl. Press the crumbly crust into a parchment lined 9" pan.
2) Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then pour in the filling.

FILLING:

1 Large Sweet Potato (baked)
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 lemon juice and zest
1/4 cup milk

1) Beat all ingredients until creamy.
2) Pour into the pre-baked crust. Return to a preheated 350F oven. Bake for about 20 Minutes (until set.)
3) Cool and chill for 20 minutes before cutting into bars.
4) Garnish with chopped nuts or powdered sugar.

Green Tea Piece Montee (Croquembouche) - Daring Bakers May '10

Who doesn't enjoy a "crunch in the mouth"? That's what Croquembouche translates to in English. Another name for this tower of cream-filled puffs covered in caramel and spun sugar is Piece Montee (mounted piece), and in France it's served as a wedding, anniversary or baptism cake. They can be several feet high, or in the case of my little trio - 6 inches each.

MATCHA GREEN TEA PETITE PIECE MONTEE
The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

Most of the time, when I've seen these towers of pastry in the United States, it has been during the holidays. Perhaps because the shape resembles a Christmas tree? Or because, like a Gingerbread House, it's an undertaking to gather all the parts of this and a great crowd-pleaser to present.

In my catering gigs, I've made several Croquembouche and I've made the puff pastry balls (Profiteroles) numerous times with different fillings.
Here's one with Rose Tea filling:
I was inspired to try a pastry cream with Matcha Green Tea by the amazingly chic Gail Baral, (a Tea Sommelier, friend and co-creator [with Robb Wain] for the online Tea Shop, ALGABAR.)
Along with her stylish online business, Gail presents unique, educational and contemporary Tea workshops at some of the best events and hotels in the US and beyond. If you ever have a chance to take part in one of her Teas or the opportunity to invite her to yours, DO!

There are three main parts to the Piece Montee: Pate a Choux (pastry puffs), Cream Filling (ie. pastry cream, mascarpone, or thickened and flavored whipping cream), and the Caramel sauce (used to keep the mounted pieces...well...mounted, and to make the spun sugar threads).


RECIPE: Pate a Choux as given for Daring Bakers

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28)
¾ cup (175 ml.) water
6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter
¼ Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preparing batter:
Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.

Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.

Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.

As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.

It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping:
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.

Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.

Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).

Baking:
Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.

Can be stored in a airtight box overnight.

Filling:
When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.

RECIPE: Matcha Green Tea Pastry Cream (adapted from recipe as given by Daring Bakers)

1 cup milk
2 Tbls. Cornstarch
2 Tbls. Matcha Green Tea Powder
6 Tbls. Sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
2 Tbls. butter
1 tsp. Vanilla

1- Mix 1/4 cup milk with the cornstarch and 1 Tbls. of Matcha Powder.
2- In a saucepan, heat the rest of the milk, sugar and 1 Tbls. Matcha Powder
3- When the milk just begins to form bubbles around the edges, remove the pan from the heat.
4- In the bowl with the cornstarch mixture, add the egg and the egg yolks, whisk til smooth.
5- Pour just a bit of the warm milk into the egg mixture and whisk constantly so the eggs do not cook.
6- Then pour the egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the warm milk and return to Med/High heat.
7- Now, using a spatula, or wooden spoon - stir constantly until the mixture is thick and begins to boil.
8- Remove from heat and beat in the vanilla and butter til smooth.
9- Place in a ceramic dish, cover with plastic wrap that you press onto the pastry cream.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days.

RECIPE- CARAMEL (for mounting and spinning sugar)

1 cup sugar
2 squeezes of lemon juice
1 Tbls. Water

In a saucepan, bring all three ingredients to a slow simmer while stirring over Med. heat.
Using a pastry brush dipped in water, wash down the inside of the pan on occasion to avoid having the sugar crystallize.
When a boil is reached, stop stirring and allow to boil for about 5 minutes or until a slight caramel color appears. Remove from heat and stir while sugar cools.

PUTTING THE TOWER TOGETHER:
Using the filled cream puffs, carefully dip each one into the caramelized sugar as you build your tower.
Start with the round base and gradually move to the next layer, using less puffs as you go and moving inward to a cone shape.

As the sugar cools and becomes taffy-like, use a fork to pull strings up and drape around your tower of pastry puffs.

If at any time the sugar gets brittle or too hard to work with, just reheat and start again. It can be used over and over by reheating.