Matcha brownies swap the cocoa powder of a classic brownie for matcha, creating a dense, fudgy, vivid green square that is one of the most distinctive baked goods you can make. The texture is identical to a great chocolate brownie, intensely fudgy with slightly crisp edges, but the flavour is completely different: earthy, slightly sweet, and distinctly green tea.
What makes a great brownie texture
The characteristic fudgy texture
of a good brownie comes from a high fat-to-flour ratio, melted chocolate or cocoa
fat rather than creamed butter, a higher proportion of eggs than most cakes,
and underbaking slightly so the centre is just barely set when it comes out of
the oven. In a matcha brownie, butter takes the place of the chocolate fat.
Using more butter than a typical blondie and slightly less flour than a cake
ensures the right dense, fudgy result.
Ingredients
•
115 grams unsalted butter
•
200 grams sugar
•
2 large eggs
•
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•
100 grams plain flour
•
2 to 3 teaspoons matcha powder, use 3 for a stronger
flavour
•
A quarter teaspoon of salt
•
Optional: 100 grams white chocolate chips
Method
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees
Celsius. Line a 20 by 20 centimetre square baking tin with parchment. Melt the
butter in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Remove from heat and
stir in the sugar until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking
vigorously after each addition. Add the vanilla and whisk again. Sift together
the flour, matcha, and salt and add to the butter mixture. Fold until just combined.
Fold in the white chocolate chips if using.
Pour the batter into the
prepared tin and spread evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The brownies are
done when the edges look set and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out
with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter. Remove from the oven and let cool
completely in the tin before cutting. The centre will firm up as it cools, and
the texture improves significantly if you refrigerate them for an hour before
slicing.
Why culinary grade matcha is right for brownies
Baking amplifies the stronger
notes in matcha and diminishes the delicate ones. Culinary grade, with its more
assertive and robust flavour profile, holds up through the heat of baking and
delivers a clearly recognisable matcha character in the finished brownie.
Ceremonial grade, with its subtle, complex flavour, loses what makes it special
in the oven.
Common questions
Why are my matcha brownies
not green enough? Use a good quality
culinary grade matcha with a vivid colour. Overbaking also browns the edges and
turns the batter darker. Bake at the minimum time and check early.
Can I add black sesame to
these? Yes. A tablespoon of black
sesame seeds in the batter or scattered on top before baking adds a striking
visual contrast and a complementary nutty flavour.
How do I get clean slices? Refrigerate the brownies for at least an hour
after cooling. Use a sharp knife dipped in warm water and wiped clean between
each cut.
For the culinary grade matcha
powder that gives these brownies their colour and flavour, see the culinary
grade matcha at Matcha BD, available with nationwide delivery.
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