The matcha ice cream was a pleasant and quite challenging request by one of Kikiliciouss`s readers and clients. I am so happy and grateful that you do not just compliment and motivate us to keep up with the hard work, but you also give us ideas and new inspiring “assignments”.

Green tea ice cream is a traditional Japanese dish. Matcha is a powder variation of green tea and as so it has a much more dense and concentrated flavour than the tea leaves. It is widely used in the Japanese cuisine but it is not drunk as often as green tea (especially the tea bag version).

Matcha and matcha ice cream have been immersed even in American cuisine, being found widely in shops and restaurants. On the other hand, in the Albanian market it is a rather new product, being introduced just a few years ago and only recently it is being used in restaurants as an ingredient of salted and sweet dishes.

I had to make a good research in order to arrive at a final product, which I believe reaches its original flavour (given the fact that I have not tasted it in its original setting, Japan).

This recipe has been taken from Japanese Cooking 101.

• The amount of sugar used in this recipe is up to you.
• Every homemade ice-cream varies from the ice-cream machine used, therefore you have to check for the freezing time. I leave my container in the freezer for 24 hours and I let the ice-cream in the machine for 40 minutes.
• I can tell you now by my own experience that there is a huge difference between the machine and no machine ice-cream, meaning that the machine gives the ice cream a smoother and silkier feature. But, even if you do not own an ice cream machine, this should not be an obstacle. However, I suggest you to buy a small one, if cooking is a thing in your family and you love eating ice cream just as much as I do. The machine will quickly pay its money off and most importantly you will be in charge of your own health.
• If you do not own an ice cream machine and want to reach a similar texture for your ice cream, keep the mixture in the freezer and every 30 minutes take it out and mix with a hand mixer and then put it back in the freezer. Repeat this for 4-5 hours. Otherwise just let the ice cream mixture in the freezer until it is frozen.

Method:

In a big bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar for 3-4 minutes, until thickened and doubled in size. By this time the mixture should have a pale yellow color.

Beginner’s version:

Add the matcha powder and mix well with a spatula.

Add whole milk and whisk until well combined.

Add the heavy cream and mix slowly with a spatula.

Be careful to not whip the heavy cream.

Pour the mixture is a pot and cook it in low heat for +/- 8-9 minutes stirring non-stop with a spatula, until the cream thickens and coats the back of the spoon.

The cream will be ready when it has started to thicken and leave marks on the spatula or the wooden spoon you are using.

How to tell: Dip the spoon/spatula in the cream and take it out. Pass your finger by the middle of the spatula. If the cream stays separate it means that the cream is ready for the next step.

*If you want to be even safer regarding the cream cooking: Cook the mass in bain-marie. This way you will completely avoid the chances of the yolk to be cooked.

Professional’s version:

In a bowl mix well the milk with matcha.

Pour it in a pot with the heavy cream and boil them lightly.

Add a scoop of milk and the whipped yolks in the mixture while mixing all together constantly with a whisk.

*It is important to continue mixing in order not to let the yolks cook and ruin the ice cream.

Put the mass in a pot with the other part of the milk and cook until reaching the desired result (read above).

Put the prepared mass in a bowl, passing it in a fine sieve to make sure not to end up with curdled egg (if the mixture has passed in boiling during the cooking)

Put cellophane paper on the surface in order not to let a membrane create during the cooling.

Leave the bowl cool down and then put it in the fridge for 6-8 hours or during the night.

After 5 hours or the next day and turn on the ice cream machine and pour inside the mixture.

Let the ice cream be made according to your machine`s instructions.

Afterward transfer the ice cream to a dish and leave it in the freezer for at least 2-3 hours before serving.

Photography by Eranda Janku