2011/12/11

Matcha & Chocolate Shortbread



Hmmm… how long I have not made chocolate? Maybe 1 or 2 year!

I like making chocolate when I am free from everything: washing dish, cooking a meal, cleaning the house, doing my hobbies, etc. For me, the making of chocolate is like an art, so it deserves time, attention and you have to let yourself go with it!

Usually when I am at home, I like doing a lot of things, Paolo and his mom always ask why I cannot just do nothing and relax!! I’m kind of hyper!!!
I have been thinking so many times to make chocolate and last week I told myself that If I don’t make it now maybe I have to wait till next year and yesss I do not have enough patience to wait so long!




When I saw this recipe, I just oh….I gotta make it as we like shortbread but I have some doubts because it’s green tea shortbread. Not everyone like matcha green tea and Paolo is one of them as he seldom chooses green tea cake or green tea ice cream.




I was quite sure that he would have liked it because he’s mad about shortbread and chocolate!

Recipe adapted from “ Couture Chocolate”

185 g. all-purpose flour

125 g. unsalted butter, cut in cubes, at room temperature

60 g. caster sugar

1 ½ tsp matcha (green tea powder) plus extra for dusting

300 g. tempered dark chocolate to coat

Shortbread

1. Sift flour and matcha powder together.

2. Put all the ingredients, except the tempered chocolate, into a bowl and mix unitl the ingredients come together in a dough.

3. Remove from the bowl. Roll the dough to ¼ inch thick on a lightly flour surface.

4. Cut into 1 ½ inch squares and transfer to a baking sheet and leave to rest for at least 1 hour in the fridge.

5.Preheat the oven to 160° C.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden.

7. Leave to cool on the rack and dip in the tempered dark chocolate and dust with matcha powder.

Tempering chocolate.

1. Place 2/3 of the chopped chocolate into a double-boiler or over a bain-marie (water bath). Do not boil the water, as it may scald the chocolate.

2. Stir regularly until the chocolate has completely melted and reaches 45-50° C.

3. Gradually add the remaining chocolate, stir vigorously and continue to stir until all of the chocolate has fully melted and the chocolate cools and thickens to 32° C –keep checking using a thermometer. If the temperature drops below this, simply warm it up over the bain-marie again.

It’s very tasty and it’s also a good idea for Christmas gift.

Enjoy cooking and baking ^O^

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