How to make Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

Matcha, a finely ground green-tea powder from Japan, gives all kinds of baked goods and desserts interesting flavor and brilliant color. It is a good match (sorry!) with white chocolate; the slightly sharp herbal edge of the tea cuts the sweetness of the chocolate. Pine nuts lend more Asian flavor, and crystallized ginger gives the cookies some heat.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup matcha powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup pine nuts
• ¼ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Instructions

1. Position rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Sift together the flour, matcha, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Combine butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until blended. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate, pine nuts and ginger.
4. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still a little moist on top, 9 to 11 minutes. Let them stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove them with a metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely. Matcha-White Chocolate Chunk Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Tips

Don’t over-brown these cookies or you’ll lose the pure green color of the matcha. They should be just set around the edges and barely dry in the centers. As they cool they’ll continue to dry out.

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How to make German Chocolate Cake Balls

German Chocolate Cake Balls

All the classic flavors and textures of German chocolate cake in a cake ball: coconut, chocolate and pecans. The traditional frosting for the cake is cooked on top of the stove and is uniquely sticky, chewy and sweet; here it is folded into chocolate cake to make these cake balls. Dipped in a dark chocolate shell, the balls are then further embellished with a generous shower of more coconut and pecans.

Ingredients

• Scant 1 cup evaporated milk
• Scant 1 cup sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
• Scant 1 cup toasted pecan halves, chopped
• 1 recipe Easy Chocolate Cake, baked, cooled and crumbled
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut or large coconut flakes (as seen in image)
• 1 cup toasted pecan halves, finely chopped
• 2 pounds semisweet chocolate, such Callebaut or Ghirardelli, finely chopped
• 64 miniature fluted paper cups (optional)

Instructions

1. To make the frosting: Place the evaporated milk and sugar in a large saucepan and whisk to combine. Whisk in the egg yolks and butter pieces. Gently cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches a simmer, and then cook for about 6 to 7 minutes, whisking frequently until it thickens and slightly darkens. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut and pecans. Cool, stirring occasionally to release heat, until just warm to the touch and thickened. Cool completely at room temperature.
2. Combine the cake and about 2 cups of the frosting. Test by compressing and tasting and only add more frosting if needed for flavor and moisture. Roll into ping-pong–size cake balls. Refrigerate until firm. This can be done 1 day ahead; store in an airtight container once they are firm.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil; set aside. Toss together the coconut and pecans in a small bowl; set aside. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or a double boiler. Dip the balls one at a time in the chocolate, encouraging any excess chocolate to drip back into the container. Place, evenly spaced, on the prepared pans. Sprinkle a generous amount of the coconut/pecan mixture on top of each cake ball while the chocolate is still wet. Refrigerate briefly until the chocolate is set. Trim bottoms, if needed. Place each cake ball in a paper cup, if using. Place in a single layer in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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