Matcha is a Japanese word that translates to “fine powdered tea.” While any green tea may be ground into a powder, not all green tea is matcha. Matcha is made from the Camellia sinensis plant, which can be made into different teas, but the plant must be specially cultivated and processed to become matcha.
We wrote about matcha in the spring 2015 issue of Island Scene. Here’s one of the recipes we featured.
MATCHA AND CHOCOLATE SWIRL CUPCAKES
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. lowfat (1%) milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus more for muffin tins
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. matcha
- Cooking spray
Instructions
Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and microwave at 50% power at 20-second intervals, stirring until melted. Add cocoa powder and milk and set aside to cool. In another bowl, combine melted butter, eggs, and sugar. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing well. Spoon half of the batter into another bowl and stir in matcha. Add melted chocolate mixture to the remaining batter and mix well. Prepare a muffin tin with cooking spray and flour or with nine foil cupcake liners. Spoon chocolate batter into each tin, then spoon matcha batter on top. Swirl mixture with a butter knife to create a marble effect. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Makes 9 servings.
