Tag: matcha

Categories
Dessert

‘Nut’ing compares to eating dessert for a good cause

There’s no baking involved to make this dark chocolate pistachio tart, but there are plenty of steps, from making a nutty chocolate crust to a creamy pistachio paste and a decadent dark chocolate ganache.
There’s no baking involved to make this dark chocolate pistachio tart, but there are plenty of steps, from making a nutty chocolate crust to a creamy pistachio paste and a decadent dark chocolate ganache.

I love acts of subtle service.

You know, acts that are seemingly so ordinary that, to someone who has never struggled with that particular essential, it’s almost an invisible need in their day-to-day lives.

One subtle act that I really like is an event that takes place every Thursday in Newton, Kansas, called “Laundry Love.”

It’s not flashy. It’s merely an event that gives free laundry service and detergent, along with a meal, for those who attend. Clean clothes is something so many of us take for granted, and I love this amazing service that seems so small but makes such a huge difference.

So why do I bring this up? Because I’m sharing a recipe with you that will be featured on the dessert auction at the annual Peace Connections soup supper on Thursday, Feb. 20, and Laundry Love is one of several amazing programs they sponsor in the community.

I decided to go for a complicated dessert, and this one comes from the blog “Addicted to Dates.” You can find the original post at https://addictedtodates.com/dark-chocolate-pistachio-tart/. I simplified a bunch of the measurements, and I added extra vanilla in my version.

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No Bake Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tart

There’s no baking involved to make this dark chocolate pistachio tart, but there are plenty of steps, from making a nutty chocolate crust to a creamy pistachio paste and a decadent dark chocolate ganache.
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate ganache, cocoa powder, coconut cream, coconut milk, dark chocolate, decadent dessert, maple syrup, matcha, no bake, pistachios, vegan dessert, walnuts

Ingredients

Pistachio Paste Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon matcha powder as a coloring agent, optional

Crust Ingredients

  • 2 cups pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts or cashews (I used walnuts)
  • 1 scant cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Ganache Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk chilled or coconut cream
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup shelled pistachios chopped

Instructions

Pistachio Paste Directions, part one

  • Place the shelled pistachios into a bowl of room temperature water for four hours or into a pot of boiling water (take it off the stove, first) for 30 minutes to let them soak.
  • Rinse and drain the nuts, and then rub as much of the skins off the pistachios as you can. Set them aside for now.

Crust Directions

  • For the crust, prepare a nine-inch tart pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper, and set it aside.
  • Add the walnuts, cocoa powder and salt to a food processor, and process until everything is in fine crumbs. Process in the maple syrup until the mixture starts to stick together. (If it isn’t coming together, add just a little more maple syrup until it does.)
  • Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your prepared tin. Freeze for 30 minutes or until the crust is firm.

Pistachio Paste Directions, part two

  • Clean out your food processor and add the pistachios you prepared earlier, along with the maple syrup, vanilla and matcha powder. Process until the mixture is extremely smooth. Once the tart crust is firm, spread the pistachio paste evenly into the bottom of the crust, and place the tart in the refrigerator.

Ganache Directions

  • If you are using chilled coconut milk, only scrape off the congealed cream from the top of the can, and leave the milk for a different use (I ended up using the solids from two cans). Add the coconut solids to a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat in order to bring it to a low simmer.
  • Add the dark chocolate to a heat-proof bowl, and when the coconut solids are at a simmer, pour them over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for five minutes, and then whisk until smooth.
  • Whisk in the maple syrup and salt.
  • Once everything is smooth, remove the tart from the fridge, and pour the ganache on top. Spread it evenly, tapping the tart gently on your countertop to release any air bubbles and help it even out.
  • Chill for at least four hours or overnight.
  • Before serving, sprinkle the 1/3 cup of chopped pistachios around the edges as decoration. Store the tart in an airtight container.

There are a ton of steps in this recipe, but they are so, so worth it. The flavor profile on this is incredible between the nuttiness of the walnuts and pistachios and the deep chocolate flavor of the ganache.

I shared my first attempt at this recipe with friends, and they absolutely raved about it.

If you want to try to win this at the Peace Connections, auction, be sure to come to their event at Newton Nazarene Church, 1000 N Main St, Newton, on Thursday, Feb. 20. The soup supper is by donation and starts at 5:30 p.m. The dessert auction will take place from 6:15 to 7 p.m. You can find more information at peaceconnections.org.

It is certainly a worthy cause, and I think this is a pretty worthy dessert, too.

This piece first appeared in print Feb. 13, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Cookies Dessert

There’s no ‘matcha’ for tea-flavored cookies

White chocolate chip and cashew matcha cookies have the subtle taste of tea, along with the sweetness of chocolate and the crunch of nuts.
White chocolate chip and cashew matcha cookies have the subtle taste of tea, along with the sweetness of chocolate and the crunch of nuts.

It seems like everyone has an extravagant friend. 

The person in your life who likes the finer things, the fancier stuff, the flashy side of life.

I have a few, but one who truly fits this description recently looked at me and said, “You know what’s delicious? White chocolate chip matcha cookies.”

Challenge accepted.

If you’re not familiar with matcha, it’s a green powder made from tea leaves. It’s purported to be a healthier tea option, since it uses the whole leaf instead of just steeping them, and while it’s popular in places like Japan, it’s also become more and more available in the States, especially at coffee shops and smoothie bars.

It has a very earthy flavor, one the author of this recipe described as kind of like grass, but I’d say it really just smells and tastes like green tea. It does, however, make a great addition to some white chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe comes from Zainab Moughal, who writes the blog “Bake with Zainab.” You can find the original post at https://bakewithzainab.wixsite.com/bakewithzainab/post/matcha-cashew-white-chocolate-nyc-cookies. I added extra vanilla, chocolate chips and matcha in my version.

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White Chocolate Chip and Cashew Matcha Cookies

White chocolate chip and cashew matcha cookies have the subtle taste of tea, along with the sweetness of chocolate and the crunch of nuts.
Course Dessert
Keyword cashews, cookies, matcha, vanilla, white chocolate chips

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 heaping teaspoons matcha powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup chopped cashews
  • 11 ounces white chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Cream together the brown sugar, sugar and butter for a few minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
  • Beat in the flour, matcha powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until the mixture is smooth, and then fold in the cashews and white chocolate chips.
  • Scoop the batter with a 1-1/2-inch cookie scoop (or about the size of a ping pong ball) and place onto a baking sheet—no need to space them very far.
  • Freeze the cookies on the baking sheet for one hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 395 and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the frozen dough at least two inches apart and bake for nine minutes or until the tops are starting to brown.
  • Let the cookies cool, and then store them in an airtight container.

These didn’t have a really strong matcha flavor, but it was there in the background. If you wanted it to stick out more, you could decrease the chocolate chips or leave them out altogether. I thought they were really good, though. They’d be great with a hot cup of tea.

And I made sure to bag some up for my friend, figuring he would be able to tell me if I managed to accomplish his vision for a good matcha cookie.

I’m sure the fact that I see green powdered tea as a fancy addition to my baking is a sign that I need to get out more. Either that, or I need to live a little and ask for that additional charge at the coffee shop every once in awhile. I think my friend would probably agree with both.

This piece first appeared in print on Sept. 16, 2021.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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