Collaboration with Sunday Natural
You probably know that Japanese green matcha is not only a delicious tea to drink, but also an amazing ingredient for sweets and baked goods.
And as you are reading this recipe, you are probably also a fan of this super healthy antioxidant-rich green powder. Now I came up with a recipe for cute crispy little matcha pralines, and you only need ingredients to make them. They are also gluten free.
Ingredients for the matcha pralines
- Matcha
The matcha should be 100% pure and bright green, that usually means it’s good quality. I really like the organic Uji matcha by Sunday Natural*, which I was provided with for this collaboration.
Once you open the matcha, it’s best to keep it closed in the fridge and use it in the next couple of weeks.
- vegan white chocolate
White vanilla chocolate is often available in organic food stores and if you’re in Germany, you can also get it at DM.
- rice flakes
You can get them at organic food stores, also full grain ones.
Why should you temper the chocolate for the chocolate cake, and what is the seeding method?
Tempering chocolate is an essential step to achieve a perfect result when working with chocolate. During tempering, the chocolate is carefully heated and cooled to specific temperatures to stabilize the crystal structure of the cocoa butter. This process gives the chocolate a beautiful shine, a crisp texture, and a uniform appearance.
The seeding method is a simple and effective technique for home use. First, the chocolate is melted to dissolve all the cocoa butter crystals completely. Then, finely chopped, unmelted chocolate is stirred into the warm mixture. These solid pieces contain stable beta crystals, which evenly distribute through the chocolate and cool it to the desired working temperature. This method allows you to temper chocolate quickly and easily without multiple cooling and reheating steps. The result is glossy, stable chocolate, perfect for pralines, coatings, and decorations.
Here’s an excellent YouTube video on tempering chocolate by CupcakeJemma.
CRISPY MATCHA PRALINES
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 bars of vegan white chocolate
- 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder or more if you like
- 2-3 tablespoons rice flakes
Instructions
- First you're tempering the chocolate for a shiny and crisp cake glaze using the seeding method. Don’t worry—it’s not as complicated as it might seem at first glance.Start by finely chopping the chocolate, as this helps it melt evenly and ensures proper heat distribution. Prepare a double boiler by filling a saucepan with a little water and heating it gently so that it simmers but doesn’t boil. Place a melting pot or a heatproof bowl over the saucepan, ensuring the bottom doesn’t touch the water.Melt about 2/3 of the chopped chocolate with the matcha in the pot, stirring regularly until fully melted. Keep an eye on the temperature, aiming for 40-45°C (104-113°F). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in most of the remaining chocolate, which will lower the temperature and begin the crystallization process. Leave a small portion of the chocolate aside in case adjustments are needed. Aim for a final temperature of 28-29°C (84-86°F).
- Dollop a little bit of the melted chocolate with a small spoon into each of 16 flowers in a silicone mould. Then add the rice flakes. Then carefully pour the remaining matcha chocolate on top. The filling should end with the mould and have clean outlines.
- Knock the mould on the table a few times so trapped air bubbles can come up, then put the mould in the fridge for minutes.
If you like my matcha pralines, you might also enjoy my other recipes in collaboration with Sunday Natural:
- Chagaccino
- Hemp bagels
- Fermented cashew blueberry cheese
- Earl Grey loaf cake
- Superfood burgers
- Chocolate and sea salt granola bars
- Lion’s mane matcha latte
- Hojicha latte
- Superfood pralines
- Hojicha ice cream mini cheesecakes
- Chocolate pudding
- Chia jam
- Protein snickers ice cream
- DIY spice rack
- Almond buckwheat granola clusters
- Matcha popsicles
- DIY yoga mat spray
