Matcha White Chocolate Pikelets with Strawberry Cream (Japanese × New Zealand)
Bright green matcha pikelets studded with white chocolate and topped with strawberry whipped cream, a Japanese twist on the Kiwi classic.
Method
Sift the flour, matcha and baking powder together into a bowl through a fine sieve. Matcha clumps easily, and sifting is what stops green specks in the batter. Stir in the sugar and salt and make a well in the centre.
Add in this stepPlain flour 90 gMatcha powder 2 tspBaking powder 1½ tspSugar 25 gSalt 1 pinch
Melt half the butter, let it cool slightly and whisk it into the egg beaten with the milk (for one serving, beat 1 egg and use half). Pour into the well and mix just until the lumps disappear, then fold in the white chocolate and leave for .
Add in this stepEgg 1Milk 130 mlButter (for the batter and pan) 10 gWhite chocolate, finely chopped 30 g
Heat a 26 cm frying pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, then lower to medium-low heat and wipe it thinly with the remaining butter. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter to make 6–7 cm rounds, cook for , flip when the bubbles pop and cook for . Browned matcha loses its colour and flavour, so keep the heat low enough that the faces stay green. Cook in batches.
Add in this stepButter (for the batter and pan) 10 g
medium-low heatHull half the strawberries and chop them small. Whip the cold cream with the icing sugar for to soft peaks, then gently fold in the chopped strawberries.
Add in this stepCream for whipping 100 mlIcing sugar 2 tspStrawberries 3
Stack 2–3 pikelets per plate, top with strawberry cream and the remaining strawberries, halved. A very light dusting of matcha through a sieve looks lovely.
Add in this stepStrawberries 3
Cook's tip
Baking-grade matcha is fine; the brighter the colour, the better the flavour. Chop the white chocolate finely, as big pieces touching the pan scorch. Sweet red bean paste instead of strawberries makes it even more Japanese.
Cooking it at camp
Sift the dry mix with the matcha at home and pack it in a zip bag; at camp add only the egg, milk, melted butter and chocolate. Whip the cream by shaking it in a small jar, and keep the strawberries cold in the cooler.