Green Tea Nama Chocolate

**Similar to Nama Chocolate, this is just the matcha version

Instructions

• 16 oz. white chocolate 
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. matcha powder
• 8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm) baking dish lined with parchment paper

Directions

1. Chop the white chocolate into small pieces so it will melt quickly.
2. Cut the butter into small pieces.
3. Add the heavy whipping cream into a small saucepan and bring it to ALMOST boil. Keep an eye on the cream; when you see bubbles around the saucepan, remove from the heat.
4. Immediately add the white chocolate and butter. With a rubber spatula, mix all together.
5. The mixture will start to solidify, so melt the chocolate and butter while the cream is still warm.
6. Once the mixture is smooth, sift and add green tea powder (matcha) into the mixture.
7. Mix and combine together until the color is homogeneous.
8. In a prepared 8” x 8” baking dish lined with parchment paper, pour the green tea chocolate mixture into a baking dish.
9. Tap the baking dish a few times on the kitchen countertop to remove any air bubbles. Flatten the surface with the rubber spatula if necessary. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours (or overnight).
10. Lift the parchment paper to remove the green tea chocolate from the baking dish. Run the sharp knife under hot water to warm up the knife and wipe it dry completely.
11. Slice the chocolate block into 4 blocks and then cut each block into 9 small pieces.
12. Dust more green tea powder (matcha) on top. Store the chocolate in the refrigerator until serving. Serve chilled. You can keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days but enjoy soon.

Castella

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp bread flour
• 5 Tbsp. honey
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. warm water
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 Tbsp. warm water
• 2 1-lb loaf pans (8.50 x 4.50 x 2.75 inch / 22 x 11 x 7 cm)

Directions

1. Cut parchment paper to fit the baking pans.
2. Preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Sift the bread flour with the sifter or a fine-meshed strainer twice. Holding the handle with one hand and tapping the strainer gently with the other, the flour will gradually sift through the strainer.
4. In a small bowl, add 2 1/2 Tbsp. warm water to 5 Tbsp. honey and whisk well.
5. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Crack eggs into the bowl and vigorously whisk until combined and frothy. Add the sugar. Beat the eggs and sugar on high speed (Speed 10) for 5 minutes. The volume of the beaten eggs will increase about 4 times. The texture will be thick and the color will be pale yellow. When you stop the mixer and lift the whisk attachment, the mixture should fall in ribbons. (If using a hand mixer, it will take longer than 5 minutes to reach this stage)
6. Add the honey mixture into the egg mixture and whisk on low speed (Speed 2) until combined, about 30 seconds.
7. Add the bread flour at three separate times: add 1/3 of the bread flour and whisk on low speed (Speed 2) for 15 seconds, then add more flour and whisk for 15 seconds. Add the last remaining portion and whisk until just combined for about 1 minute. Do not overmix!
8. Spray the loaf pans with oil and spread out evenly with pastry brush.
9. Put the parchment paper in the pans and make sure the paper sticks to the pans. If not, add oil and spread out evenly with a brush.
10. Evenly distribute the batter into the pans.
11. Using a skewer, draw a zigzag line to remove the air bubbles in the batter.
12. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 2-inches above counter dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles.
13. Bake on middle rack of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. When done, cake sides will pull away from pan slightly; top will be flat and feel spongy when pressed with finger.
14. Mix the 1 Tbsp. honey and 1/2 Tbsp. warm water in a bowl and apply the honey mixture on top of the cake with a pastry brush.
15. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter top. Take out the cake from the pan to the plastic wrap, top facing down. Gently peel off parchment paper.
16. Immediately wrap the cake with plastic wrap to retain the moisture, and while it's hot, store in the refrigerator overnight (at least 12 hours), keeping the top side facing down. This will help the cake have more fine and moist texture.
17. To serve, slice off the sides of the cake with a sharp bread knife and cut into 3/4 to 1 inch thick slices. It's better if you bring the cake to room temperature before serving. To save for later, wrap individual pieces with plastic wrap and freeze up to a month or keep in fridge up to 5 days.

Nama Chocolate

Ingredients

• 400 gram (about 14 oz.) good quality dark chocolate (70% cacao), but you can also you also use semisweet for less bitter taste
• 200 ml (about 3/4 cup) heavy whipping cream
• Liqueur of your choice (optional)
• Cocoa powder to coat the chocolate

Directions

1. Chop the chocolate into smaller pieces using a knife so that they will melt faster and more evenly.
2. Line a 8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm) baking dish with parchment paper. Choosing the right size tray is important as the height of chocolate is decided depending on how much you pour.
3. Put cream in a saucepan and heat it up until almost boiling. Turn off the heat.
4. Add the chocolate and stir till the chocolate and cream are completely combined. Add liqueur of your choice (optional).
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the surface and refrigerate until firm, about 4-5 hours (or overnight).
6. Remove the chocolate from the baking dish and cut it into 36 cubes using a warm knife. Make sure to warm the knife after each cutting to prevent splintering. You can use hot running water but wipe it off completely before each cut.
7. Sprinkle the cocoa powder and serve it chilled. You can keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days but enjoy soon.

Note: the ratio of cream to chocolate should be about 1:2