Matcha, Matcha, Matcha! 5 ways with Matcha tea powder

There is something about even the word matcha that feels fun, isn’t there?

I personally have to say it in threes, like Jan in Grease (what? you don’t remember the best song from Grease?!).

Right – there you go. See? It totally works: “matcha, matcha, matcha, doo dee….” nevermind.

The point is, matcha really is as delightful as it sounds. Like it’s name, it’s light and delicate in colour and flavour. But don’t let its subtlety fool you – the unique aroma and scent of matcha tea powder is perfect for all sorts of recipes. As matcha tea powder in Australia starts to take off, we thought we’d share our favourite 5 ways with matcha tea that will really impress.

Matcha Tea Ice Lollies

When I was a kid my sisters and I used to take the rare times we were allowed ice cream very seriously.

– What are you getting?

– Dunno. What are you getting? Creamy or icey?

– I was thinking creamy, but now maybe I want icey.

– Hmmmm….

Creamy or icey was the ultimate question when it came to frozen treats. Too creamy and you’d be lost in a world of overly sweet chocolate – refreshing it was not. On the other hand though, a dairy free lemon sorbet could leave one feeling too icey – it lacked the richness an auspicious occasion (like Dad actually offering you something from the servo on a petrol refuel) demanded. Fortunately, this lactose free ice lolly is both satisfyingly creamy and not overdone. My childhood self would get her sleeves filthy as this melted down her hands very happily.

Lactose-free Matcha Yoghurt ice lollies recipe

Ingredients

• 4 tsp matcha tea powder
• 1kg soya yoghurt (you can use greek yoghurt if you’re not bothered about dairy)
• 4 tbsp honey
• 8 wooden lolly sticks
• 8 disposable plastic cups

Instructions:

1. Mix 200g of yoghurt with the matcha powder and one tbsp honey until fully combined.
2. In a separate bowl mix the rest of the yoghurt and honey.
3. Spoon an eighth of the matcha mix into each of the cups.
4. Spoon the rest of the yoghurt on top.
5. Freeze for 1 hour and then add the wooden sticks into the middle.
6. Freeze overnight.
7. Run cold water over the cups to loosen the lollies.
8. Enjoy!

Matcha Meringue Kisses

Ahh Martha Stewart. There’s no one we trust more to whip up identical batches of perfect looking confections. Meringues are perfect for matcha tea powder – because they have a clean, simple taste that supports a subtle flavour. The pale green colour of this green tea powder is perfect for the delicacy of these little kisses – get the recipe here.

Green Tea and White Chocolate Cookies

These brilliant green cookies from Just One Cookbook tastes as good as they look. White chocolate is the perfect thing to counteract the slightly bitter tea edge matcha can give.

Frothy Iced Matcha Green Tea Recipe

The frothy head on this iced tea is slightly reminiscent of a cold beer on a hot afternoon – either way, we’ll take it!

Matcha Tea Cake

We’ve saved what we think is the best til last here. This matcha zebra cake is gorgeous to look at, and a real surprise when you cut into it. The flavour when the matcha powder is baked in this moist tea cake is just divine!