Posts tagged white chocolate

Matcha Latte Afagatto

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Matcha Latte Afagatto

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remember the first time I had a hand warming bowl of fresh matcha tea. I was on an energy high for the entire day! As someone who doesn’t drink caffeinated coffee its a great alternative energy kick full of caffeine and packed full of antioxidants. I realise that unlike me many won’t have the same apprecaitetion for the bitter flavours of green tea or my favourite 90% dark chocolate. However if you can appreciate the flavour, health benefits and vivid colour of matcha tea then forget your Starbucks ”skinny-soy-hold the cream- add the sweetener and cinnamon sprinkle grande latte (with – correctly written name)…breathe….and get to your local health food shop or teapigs supplier and go make your own! That said, more and more independent cafes are offering this healthy alternative so it is far more accessible for an easy take out than it used to be. It can be made using sweetened milk such as sweetened almond (my personal favourite) of hazelnut to just take off that bitter edge.

For those still curious, matcha tea is essentially organic green tea leaves that have been ground to a fine powder and concentrated into this vibrant ‘gold’ dust. As I say, I like to use a sweeter milk but after a recent lightbulb moment of inspiration I wondered if the after dinner coffee and chocolate pairing could be ‘matched’ (excuse the pun) with an alternative? So, I thought, why not pair super sweet white chocolate with this bitter green and warming tea topped with some camp rose petals?

Think of it as an alternative coffee-free afagatto for your more hipster dinner party guests.

The body is a temple. But only once a month….

 

Jess - Matcha Latte Afagatto#3

Jess - Matcha Latte Afagatto#4

NOTE: To get the aerated effect, the best thing to use here if you don’t have a green tea whisk is a milk frother (see here). You can also use a hand blender.

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hilst I always use unsweetened versions of dairy free milks such as almond and soy, I find the sweetened ones work better here as an alternative to adding maple syrup or honey. However feel free to use the unsweetened versions, especially for the afagatto where the bitterness is a lovely contrast to the sweet ice cream.

Matcha latte for 1 

  • 1/2 tsp match tea powder
  • 200ml milk of choice (almond, coconut, dairy, rice milk, hazelnut etc)
  1. Sieve the powder into a mug so its doesn’t end up lumpy
  2. Warm the milk in a pan until just coming to the simmer and then remove from the heat
  3. Using a whisk or frother add a few tablespoons of the hot milk to the powder and whisk well to combine.
  4. Once combined add the rest of the milk and use the whisk or frother to aerate.

Jess - Matcha Latte Afagatto#6

Matcha Afagatto for 4

  • 400ml (sweetened) almond milk (or soya, dairy, coconut, hazelnut….)
  • 2 tsp matcha tea powder
  • 4 scoops white chocolate ice cream
  • Optional – 2 tsp rose petals
  1. Make the matcha latte as above.
  2. Spoon the ice cream into small deep bowls
  3. Pour over the hot tea and top with rose petals

 

Jess - Matcha Latte Afagatto

Lime Layer Drizzle with Blackcurrant and White Chocolate

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Lime Layer Drizzle with Blackcurrant and White Chocolate

 

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Its been a frustrating week of unknowns but what can be guaranteed- as so rightly put by Julie from ‘Julie & Julia’- is that at the end of the day you can always rely on eggs, sugar, butter and flour producing something delicious. Chuck in some gooey lime syrup, some sharp mouthwateringly-tart blackcurrant puree and the soothing sweet sugary hug of a palate knife of white chocolate buttercream and you’ve got yourself the solution to any first world trauma…(excluding obesity….!) With too many handpicked blackcurrants from the allotment to fit in the freezer- yes the frozen joints of meat and 2 year old pack of fish fingers for those emergencies had to be sacrificed- it was time for the blackcurrants to earn their keep. With a vat of blackcurrant sorbet and enough jam to keep a Frenchman happy, it was time to use them in a new recipe.

If you can’t get hold of blackcurrants (get in touch, our crop would supply international orders) then blackberries would be good too but the tart sharpness of the blackcurrants is really lovely with the white chocolate.

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Serves….many!

Cake

  • 225g unsalted butter, softened
  • 225g golden caster sugar
  • 225g self raising flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 zest lime
  • 85g caster sugar
  • 6 tbsp juice (about 1 ½ limes)

Fillings

  • 300g blackcurrants
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 100g white chocolate
  • 140g unsalted butter, softened
  • 140g icing sugar, sieved
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two small (16cm) cake tins.
  2. Beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale and creamy. Add in the beaten eggs one at a time followed by the lime zest.
  3. Sieve in the flour and fold in to combine.
  4. Spoon into the tins and even out. Bake for about 40-50 minutes until just cooked and springy to touch.
  5. While they are baking, combine the 85g caster sugar, and the lime juice and warm over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. As soon as the cakes come out the oven, prick all over with a tooth pick and spoon the syrup over the two cakes, allowing it to seep into the holes. Leave to cool COMPLETELY in their tins before turning out.
  6. For the blackcurrant puree, wash the blackcurrants so they retain a bit of water on their skins and heat with the sugar in a pan over a medium heat until they begin to burst and soften and turn a little syrupy. Don’t boil and obliterate them, as soon as they start to simmer, remove from the heat. Puree in a food processor or the like until smooth.
  7. Tip into a sieve and strain out the pips and skins to achieve a smooth glossy puree. You should get about 180g (ish).Chill until needed.
  8. For the butter cream, melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Give it a beating if it is a bit lumpy to get a smooth melted chocolate. Leave to cool a little.
  9. Combine the sieved icing sugar and softened butter until smooth and then beat in the melted chocolate. Set aside until needed.
  10. Only when the cakes are completely cold, slice each into half horizontally to get 4 layers. Place one layer on a cake stand and then spread ¼ of the buttercream evenly over followed by a generous spoonful (just under 1/3) of the blackcurrant puree. Place another layer on top and repeat, finishing with a top layer of buttercream if you like.image
  11. Sit back and admire your effort before devouring.

Caramelised White Chocolate and Rose Cupcakes

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Caramelised White Chocolate and Rose Cupcakes

 

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I imagine when you arrive at the Pearly Gates of heaven, St.Peter’s hunky Leonardo look-a-like assistant will be standing beside him with a tray of these welcoming you in. That would be nice.

So, this is not another generic chocolate cupcake…..oh no, that’s not my style. I had to play with my Green & Blacks stash somehow. Caramelised white chocolate is courtesy of David Lebovitz who has an ice cream recipe for this I’ve been meaning to try…I usually find white chocolate too sweet and the idea of the ice cream was enough to make my poor teeth ache so I thought I’d try (ok still sugary) but a less intense cupcake by sticking it into a cake mixture. The results were engulfed on a sunny early evening within the hour…success.

Cupcakes

  • 150g plain flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 110g butter, melted
  • 100g sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 160g caramelised white chocolate (or simply use melted white chocolate 30% solids minimum- I used Green & Blacks)
  • 60ml milk

White Chocolate and Rose Buttercream

  • 250g icing sugar
  • 110g unsalted butter
  • 150g Green & Blacks white chocolate, melted
  • Drop of rosewater (Or to taste- its powerful stuff)
  • Drop of pink/red food colouring

1.   Preheat the oven to 125°C. Start by making the caramelised white chocolate. Break the chocolate up into pieces and place on a lined baking tray. Place int he oven for 10 minutes and then spread out using a spatula. Place back in the oven for another ten minutes and repeat this process of smoothing it out every 10 minutes for up to 60 minutes but this will depend on the chocolate you use (DON’T use cheap stuff). It will look really weird and chalky but don’t panic….it should smooth out as you go. Tips can be found here from the man himself. If it doesn’t (like mine did) then after the hour, place in a food processor and whiz briefly and it will form a devine golden brown caramel ready to use in your cupcake mixture.

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2.  Now start the cupcakes by whisking the eggs and the sugar for a few minutes until really pale and fluffy and airy. Add the vanilla and then the milk followed by the white chocolate caramel mixture and mix well (If using normal chocolate, melt it in advance by heating the milk and then whisking in the chocolate and combine this way).

3.  Sieve over the baking powder and the flour and fold in gently.

4.  Finally, fold in the melted butter (it will look nasty at first but persist).

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5.  Spoon into cases and bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes before leaving to cool.

6.  For the icing, combine the softened butter, sieved icing sugar and rose water together in a processor or by hand until well combined. Combine with the melted white chocolate until smooth adding a drop of pink colouring if you like. Add a splash of milk for a looser consistency. Spoon into a piping bag.

7.  When the cakes are cold, pipe the icing on top in a rose pattern and scatter with dried rose petals if you like!

8.  Your final mission…..make a man eat one!

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