Emerald Matcha Cream Cubes with White Chocolate Shell

 

Ingredients

For the White Chocolate Shell:

12 oz high-quality white chocolate chips or couverture

discs, divided

1.5 tsp unflavored cocoa butter or coconut oil

2 tsp premium ceremonial-grade matcha powder, finely

sifted

For the Matcha Cream Mousse:

6 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp premium matcha powder, sifted

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 tsp powdered gelatin

1.5 tbsp cold water

For the Sweet Milk Core:

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp heavy cream

1 pinch kosher salt

For Garnish:

1/2 tsp matcha powder (for dusting)

1 tsp edible gold flakes

Directions

Prepare the core first. Whisk the sweetened condensed

milk, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and a pinch of salt

together in a small bowl until smooth. Pour into small

cube or half-sphere silicone insert molds and freeze for 2

hours until completely solid.

To make the chocolate shells, melt 8 ounces of the white

chocolate and the cocoa butter together in a double

boiler over low heat, stirring until perfectly smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 4 ounces of

white chocolate until completely melted (this helps

temper the chocolate). Sift in the 2 teaspoons of matcha

powder and whisk vigorously until the chocolate turns a

vibrant, uniform emerald green.

Spoon the green chocolate into 6 square silicone cube

molds, coating the bottoms and sides evenly. Invert the

mold over parchment paper to let excess chocolate drip

out, creating a thin shell. Clean the edges and chill the

mold in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. Reserve the

remaining green chocolate for sealing.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small dish

and let bloom for 5 minutes, then microwave for 10

seconds until completely liquefied and clear.

In a medium bowl, whip the chilled heavy cream and

powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. In a separate

bowl, beat the room-temperature mascarpone cheese,

vanilla bean paste, and 1 tablespoon of sifted matcha

powder until light and uniform. Slowly stream the liquid

gelatin into the mascarpone mixture while beating, then

gently fold in the whipped matcha cream.

Pipe or spoon the matcha mousse into the chocolate-

lined cube cavities, filling each about halfway. Press a

frozen sweet milk core into the center of each cube, then

fill to the top with the remaining mousse, leaving a tiny

1/16-inch border at the top. Smooth flat and freeze for 30

minutes to firm up.

Re-warm the reserved emerald green chocolate until fluid

but not hot (around 86°F to 88°F). Pour it over the top of

each cube to seal the mousse completely, scraping away

any excess with an offset spatula to create a perfectly

flat bottom. Freeze the entire mold for at least 4 hours

until frozen solid.

Carefully peel the silicone mold away from the frozen

cubes to reveal the sharp, glossy emerald facets. Place

the cubes right-side up on a serving platter and let thaw

in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Just before serving, give

them a micro-dusting of fresh matcha powder and

garnish with a touch of edible gold flakes.