We teamed up with Claire from Chartresssansgluten.fr to produce a delicious recipe for beautiful matcha cakes using our Organic Matcha and raspberries.

Thank you Claire for your delicious recipe, once made these cakes never stay around for long...

Nothing is Set in Stone

I wanted to tell you that as time passes, yes, we change. What’s more, things around us change all the time… (as if you didn’t know that already)! But I also wanted to say that we should not be so afraid all the time. I have to especially say this to myself, thanks to you.

It is true - sometimes it’s nice to see the cards redrawn. That nothing is set in stone!

This hard skin that envelops us in seeking the ideal stability and convictions to hold. It’s fair and square: it’s our way of stymying the effervescence of some things.

Accustomed to looking for life’s constants, we tend to believe that real life, the stages of cruising that awaits us, the kind that we will be able to enjoy, that it will really start once a balance is reached, and once certainties are anchored - the permanent employee contract, marriage, children having grown up…

TEAURA

I was recently offered several teas by the pretty speciality tea house, Tèaura, who are based in London and Zurich but also ship their teas around the world. Despite my school-level English, Jamie (Raise your hands if you watch Outlander..!) and I had exchanged a few messages about how much I love tea, the recipes that I’ve incorporated before with tea and the possibility that I take up the role as their ambassador for the teas that both Jamie and Bauhinia have selected with such passion and care.  

… and so this is how I began baking with this beautiful Organic Matcha. It was also going to be the first time that I would have the pleasure to try such a drink! I loved it. I found the Organic Matcha even more extraordinary when comparing it to my previous experiences. The first revelation was the scent: incredibly fresh, a bright green almost like chlorophyll itself, reminiscent of freshly cut grass. On the palate the notes were very sweet - the sweetness oozing from the slight bitterness that is natural in Matcha - without which the natural hint of umami would be difficult to explain. From this moment I decided that I was going to share this experience with you and that I would also share with you a recipe (see below) for raspberry (and matcha!) financiers that you would never tire of.    

Here I am in search of a chasen, this little tea whip, and enjoy it in an artful ceremony! I also did my own little investigation to help you look for them. It seems that everything that is marketed under the name of matcha is not always up to par. The range of prices that you can find is a good indicator. For 30 to 40 grammes of matcha, it costs 12 to 15 euros and no less, for quality matcha. For an even more superior matcha, it costs at least 20 euros. (No, I am not talking up prices here, but seeking authenticity and quality. #Don’tDrinkItEveryDay ! That’s all!)

You should know that the intensity of the bright lime green colour of the matcha is a sign of its excellence! And the best source seems to come from the Kyoto region of Japan. As a tip, here is how you can see that the matcha is good quality: the “mousse”, formed of tiny bubbles, will be less ephemeral. You should also be confident that the matcha is properly certified to be organic, that the leaves grew well in the shade, and that the youngest leaves were picked by hand, then milled on a grinding wheel made of stone in the traditional method that makes the matcha as fine as flour. This is how good quality matcha must be.

So many articles online already list the virtues of this drink… that I will do list them again. Though if you feel like commenting on it, we can certainly discuss them.

RECIPE for Matcha & Raspberry Financiers

Ingredients

• 80g Organic Butter or Margarine

• 40g whole rice flour

• 60g almond powder

• 100g light brown sugar

• 3g matcha tea (powder)

• Pinch of salt

• Fresh or frozen raspberries

Method

1. Melt 80g of quality organic butter or margarine (100% vegetable-based and without palm oil)

2. In another container, mix 40g of whole  rice flour with 60g of almond powder, 100g of light brown sugar, 3g of matcha tea and a pinch of salt

3. Add 4 egg whites and the melted organic butter and mix it

4. Fill up the muffin molds with the mixture till halfway and place 2 raspberries (fresh or frozen if not in season) in the centre and sprinkle with pistachio chips

5. Bake for exactly 15 min at 200°C