LUPICIA and Matcha

Today's blog will be featuring LUPICIA fresh tea: Matcha Green Tea Powder

Growing up and still to this day, I've always seen my mother drinking green tea which was an everyday thing. It's part of our cuture, but then as time has passed you have probably seen more and more venues carrying products such as "green tea lattes" "green tea smoothies" and other similar foods and drinks. I tried my first green tea latte a few years ago and it is delicious! THEN good ole Pink berry came out with a green tea frozen yogurt treat which is my favorite dessert ever......So why not bake with it? It's good for you...right? ---yup, endorphins and antioxidants!

Matcha Tea – A Nutritious Beverage

• Rich in Antioxidants and Chlorophyll
• Contains Catechins Only Found in Green Tea
  
• Naturally Mood Enhancing
  
• Zero on the Glycemic Index - will not raise insulin levels
• Sugar-free, High in Fiber

Matcha Tea – For Antioxidants
Exponentially Higher in Antioxidants than Blueberries and Spinach

Green teas contain a high amount of antioxidants, chemically compounds known to forestall aging. Antioxidants are found in many fruits and vegetables – even chocolate. A testing method known as ORAC – short for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, evaluates the antioxidant levels found in food. According to research done by Tufts University, the ORAC capacity of matcha green tea is exponentially higher than other foods known for their high antioxidants levels such as blueberries and spinach.

-Pulled from here

Note: I've had other matcha powder before, but the Lupicia has the best quality of tea by far. The green color is so vibrant it's screaming antioxidants!

The Recipe

Muffin Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2tsp Lupicia Matcha Green Tea Powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 egg white
  
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
  
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups blueberries (dusted with flour)

Cinnamon Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 unsalted butter

1. preheat the oven to 350.
2. Now assemble your cinnamon topping. You want to soften the butter so you can cut it into the rest of the ingrediants.
3. mix all the dry ingrediants together and with a fork cut in the softened butter...set aside
4. Now in your mixer beat the butter, sugar and 1 tsp of the matcha power till a light fluffy green powder.
   

5. As your butter is beating, Sift all your dry ingredients and set aside.
6. Now add each egg one at a time. I recommend them to be room temp but it's okay if they're not.
7. After all eggs are mixed in add in your extracts and sour cream. Once again mix till blended in.
8. Now add the milk and dry ingredients last. A nice vibrant green batter should appear.
9. After everything is well combined...FOLD in blueberries, coconut, and white chocolate chips.


Finally, just distribute into either 12 large muffins or 24 smaller muffins. The bigger muffins are perfect for breakfast to compliment your choice of a delicious Lupicia tea.

Then generously top them with the cinnamon topping and pop them in the oven for about 30-35 min. Let the cool completely then enjoy!

Before the oven

After!!...Also I topped them with slivered almonds, but that is just my preference : )

Inside: Still that vibrant color with a subtle taste of matcha. Not bitter at all...just a delicious blueberry muffin on matcha-roids!

I reccomend any of the Lupicia teas. At the moment I'm drinking the Banane Chocolat (which smells like a chocolate covered banana! It's delicious!)

Visit the store HERE
or if you're here in LA
Visit Charles @
The Century City Mall: Lupicia
10250 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067