Matcha (Green Tea) Macarons

January: National Tea Month

East meets West when finely milled green tea powder mixes with ground almonds to make matcha macarons. Japanese green tea adds color and flavor to the famous French cookie in this unique recipe combination. Fusion foods like this are frequently featured in our home since we are a mixed married couple. Often our mealtime menus include items reflecting Highlander and Islander’s cultures, giving us a taste of the best of both worlds!

We made these matcha macarons by adapting a recipe from a Japanese author’s cookbook and using the French meringue method. They are perfect as a tea time treat, especially during National Tea Month.

Recipe

(Adapted from I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita)

For the matcha green tea macarons

• 1 cup almond flour/meal
• 1 cup powdered sugar (we used C&H brand)
• 2 tablespoons matcha green tea (we used Teavana brand)
• 3 egg whites (aged overnight at room temperature)
• pinch of cream of tartar
• ¼ cup sugar (we used C&H brand, granulated white)

Directions

Sift together the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar and matcha. Whip the egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add the granulated white sugar while continuing to whip the eggs whites until peaks form. Stir in the green almond flour/meal-sugar mix until the consistency “flows like magma.”

Fill a pastry bag with a large round tip. Pipe one-inch discs on a parchment paper on top of an insulated baking sheet. Let the discs air dry to develop a thin skin for at least 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Watch the “feet” develop, but be careful not to brown or burn the macarons. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the macarons from the parchment paper. Sort by size and match pairs. Make the filling.

For the matcha (green tea) and white chocolate ganache filling

(Adapted from Matcha Source)

• 2 ounces (2 squares) of white chocolate (we used Baker’s brand)
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream, divided use
• 1 teaspoon matcha green tea (we used Teavana brand)

Directions

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate as directed on the package. Stir in 2 tablespoons of cream until smooth. Cool completely. In another bowl, beat the remaining cream with the matcha green tea until well blended. Add the white chocolate-cream mixture and continue beating until soft peaks form. Refrigerate to thicken the ganache. Re-whip again until it is a filling consistency. 

Fill a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe in the filling and sandwich the macarons together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the filling set. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

• Click on our Mac Attack page to see more macarons.
• January is also known as National Hot Tea Month while June is known as National Iced Tea Month.
• Learn more about the health benefits of green tea from the Green Tea Library—AFTER consuming calories from sugary-sweet macarons!
• Thanks to Lisa L. for sending us ground almonds from Germany. Our dear friend is also in a mixed marriage—she is German-American and her husband, John, is Welsh.

• We have corrected/updated the original matcha-white chocolate ganache recipe. This yields enough filling for the matcha macarons. If our recipes have errors, please refer to the source from where we adapted them. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Hoppin’ John

January 1: New Year’s Day

Now that we are living in the American South, we have been trying to cook more regional recipes. For New Year’s Day, we once made Hoppin’ John, a traditional Southern dish containing black-eyed peas and rice (the words “peas” and “rice” look like “peace” and “riches”). These ingredients, which are symbolic of “many coins,” are combined with pork (ham hock, sausage or bacon), seasonings and vegetables for a hearty meal. Southerners believe that if you eat Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day, it will bring wealth throughout the year.  So eat with gusto for good fortune and luck! Happy New Year!

Recipe

(Adapted from Ranch Style-ConAgra Foods Brand)

Ingredients

• 2 cans of black-eyed peas with bacon, undrained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 ounces Kielbasa sausage, sliced (or other pork pieces)
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth

Directions

Slice the onions, celery and sausage. Set aside. In a pot with a cover, heat the olive oil. Saute the onion, celery and minced garlic for about 10 minutes or until tender.

Add the beans. Stir in the sausage, rice, red pepper flakes and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover with the lid. Stir occasionally but do not overmix or the beans will turn mushy. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the broth is absorbed.

Notes

• Other versions of this simple Southern dish may contain greens (collard, mustard or turnip, etc.), chard, spinach or kale for the color of money. We eat a tossed green salad with this Hoppin’ John recipe for good health in the new year.
• It is optional to add a clean coin to the recipe before serving. Like many other new year’s dishes involving a hidden trinket (symbolic of Baby Jesus hiding from King Herod), tradition holds that whoever finds the coin in his/her Hoppin’ John portion will be blessed with good luck in the new year.
• Occasionally our own parents would prepare a similar ham hocks and beans dish for our families when we were growing up and we really liked it. However, Hoppin’ John is not a favorite festive food for us. We prefer the tastes of other traditional new year’s dishes, some of which are featured in our blog.