For sometime I have been promising myself that I would create a recipe with the Matcha I was sent as a gift from the E & O Matcha company Matcha is a type of Japanese green tea leaves that is ground into a very fine powder and either consumed as a tea or used as an ingredient in many different types of recipes, both sweet and savoury.  Traditionally consumed in East Asia, Matcha has become increasingly popular in the west because of its health benefits.

For my recipe I have created a shell of dark 74% chocolate filled with a white chocolate ganache, slices of poached nectarines and a matcha sponge.  I’ve also made my own nectarine and matcha ice cream to serve with the dish! Of course this recipe is very complex but I do hope some of you will give it a try.

Matcha Cake Layer
4 large eggs (separated) *
90grams self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tbsp matcha
100gr caster sugar
2Tbsp warm milk

Method:

1. Preheat your oven 190 C (375 F) and line a baking tray (39.1 x 26.7 x 2 centimetres ) with greaseproof paper/parchment paper.
2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and Matcha onto the sheet of parchment paper.
3. Keep your egg whites in the fridge and place the eggs yolks in a large mixing bowl, add half the sugar and beat until the eggs are pale in colour and the mixture has doubled in size.
4. In a separate clean large mixing bowl (stand mixer if you have one) whisk up the egg whites until very thick and foamy. Now gradually add the remaining half of the sugar and keep whisking until the mixture is glossy and stiff.
5. Gently mix a third of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk batter, stirring it over to incorporate it.
6.  Now pour the mixture into the rest of the egg whites and fold it in with a silicone spatula, gently turning the mixture over to incorporate without losing too much air you have beaten into your eggs.
7. Next fold the sieved dry ingredients into your batter , a 1/3 at a time. Finally stir in your warm milk.
8. Pour your batter into your lined baking tray and then tap the sides of your baking to remove any trapped air bubbles. Smooth over with a wet palette knife to ensure it is even.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes and test with a toothpick; it should come out clean and the top of the cake should be springy.
10. Remove from the oven, turn out onto another piece of parchment paper on top of a cake wire rake or clean counter top. Allow to cool before cutting disks of matcha sponge with a cookie cutter (2 5/8 in or 68mm).

Chocolate Domes:

400 grams 74% Dark Chocolate

1. I sourced my silicone mould from a site on Amazon UK and some lengthy searching and am happy with the quality and size for desserts.
2. I used 74% dark chocolate to line the moulds and tempered the chocolate first before using it to get the glossy sheen you see.
3. After tempering the chocolate you need pour the chocolate into the 1 silicone mould, chosen. Use a palette knife scrape off the excess. Make sure the chocolate coating is even.  Keep in a cool place but do not refrigerate.

Next poach the nectarines that will be used in both the white ganache and the matcha ice cream.

Poached Nectarines 
4  ripe nectarines 
2 vanilla pods
2 cups water
1 cup caster sugar
peel of 1 orange
peel of 1 lemon
1 small bay leaf
6 peppercorns

1. The method I use for poaching the nectarines can be found in one of my  previous recipes.
2. Once the nectarines are cool, dice them up and reserve 75 grams for the ice cream and reserve 60 grams (10 grams per dome). 

Matcha and Nectarine  Ice cream
2Tbsp matcha powder
75 grams granulated sugar
160 ml whole milk 
180ml double cream
2 Tbsp nectarine poaching syrup
75 grams very finely diced poached nectarines
4 egg yolks

1. Begin by mixing two tablespoons of granulated sugar with the matcha green tea powder in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the remainder of the granulated sugar with the egg yolks. Then add the matcha powder and sugar, and stir well to form a thick green paste.
3. Gently heat the milk in a medium saucepan without letting it boil to a low simmer. Remove from the heat and mix a small amount of the warm milk with the matcha green tea mixture until it becomes a smooth paste.
4. Gradually add the milk to the rest of the matcha green tea paste while keeping the mixture smooth, then return to the heat in a clean saucepan.
5. Stirring constantly, bring to a simmer until the mixture thickens and coats the back of your spoon, remove  from the heat and then strain the whole mix through a fine sieve to remove any impurities. Leave the mixture to cool before the next step.
6. Whip the double cream lightly and then fold into the matcha green tea mixture, then fold in the diced nectarines and the 2 Tbsp of poaching syrup.
7. Once the mixing is complete, place the bowl into the freezer. It is important to stop ice crystals forming in the ice cream, be sure to remove every few hours and mix the ice cream vigorously. Repeat this a few times as it freezes to guarantee a delicious, perfectly smooth ice cream.

White Chocolate Ganache
200g white chocolate chopped
80 ml double cream
20g unsalted butter cut into small pieces
½ vanilla pod

Method

1. Add the seeds from the vanilla pod to the cream.
2. Break the white chocolate into small pieces and begin to melt gently in a heat proof bowl sat on top of a saucepan of hot water.
3. Once the chocolate has begun to melt stir in the vanilla cream and the tiny pieces of butter. Keep stirring the mixture until all the butter has completely melted into the chocolate.
4. Put the chocolate mix into the fridge until it is half set.

Assembly

1. Spoon 1/2 Tbsp of diced nectarines into each of the 6 dome chocolate shells.
2. Spoon enough half set white chocolate ganache into each dome, then top carefully with a matcha sponge disk.
3. Press down on the sponge disks to make sure there is no air between the ganache and the sponge.
4. Re-melt the remaining dark chocolate to seal the domes up and allow to set in a cool place for at least 2 hours before turning out.
5. Take the remaining chocolate ganache, warm and then thin out with a little double cream until you have a thick pouring consistency. Divide the mix into 2 and flavour one half with 1/2 teaspoon of matcha.
6. Turn out a dome carefully onto a dinner plate and decorate with the matcha and white chocolate sauce in a pattern (see photograph).
7. Decorate with fresh raspberries and serve with the matcha nectarine ice cream.

Chocolate Dome  with Matcha and Nectarine Ice Cream ©Kevin Ashton 2021
All rights reserved. No content on this website including, but not limited to, text and photography may not be reproduced without prior explicit written consent.