When I saw the theme chosen by Clement of A la cuisine I first tried to think about the emotions that the simple word tea could bring to me. So I thought “Tea, Tea, Tea, reveal your meaning to me”and finally managed to remember the time when I was 9 and always having tea for breakfast. But not our usual sugar-less, milk-less tea. My special tea: Lipton yellow tea with semi-skimmed milk and a teaspoon of liquid caramel. This was a delight.
I don’t have anymore that kind of tea. Actually I’m not a big tea drinker, but when it comes to the realm of iced tea, I can say that I am an addict. I love iced tea and could drink something like 5 litres in a single day.

After having noticed how I felt about tea, I decided to think of a recipe.
I’ve always wanted to try a recipe with Matcha tea and thought it’s was a good occasion for a first try. So my first goal was to find Matcha - see what happened.
Once I was in possession of the crucial ingredient I could start thinking of a recipe (though I thought more quickly than it’s written in here; but the word is “suspense”).

There are one or two things I have to tell you before I continue: one of my favourite desserts is Tiramisu even if it’s considered as cheap and gloomy. I simply love the creaminess of the mascarpone cheese along with the little sourness of the coffee sponge. And although I love Tiramisu in its original version I can’t help myself but give it a twist. I’ve already tried a Pink Tiramisu which will be published in my cookbook and I felt it was the good time to try a new version with a tea mascarpone cream and a chocolate sponge.

So here we go, drum roll please… My final answer to the 17th edition of Is My Blog Burning is a GREEN AND BLACK TIRAMISU or less fancily Matcha tea flavoured mascarpone cream on a dark chocolate sponge with a dark chocolate sauce. (Actually as you can see in the picture it doesn’t really resemble a tiramisu, but as it’s got mascarpone in it I though I could call it so…)

GREEN & BLACK TIRAMISU
serves 4

for matcha flavoured mascarpone cream
- 2 eggs, separated
- 10g icing sugar
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 1½ gelatine leaves
- 15ml full-fat milk
- 3-5g matcha tea powder (to taste)
- 30ml double cream (or any whipping cream)
- 20g extra fine caster sugar
4 x 150ml ramekins

for dark chocolate sponge
- 60g butter, at room temperature
- 60g extra fine caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 55g self-raising flour
- 50g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa)
22cm springform tin

for chocolate sauce
- 100ml double cream
- 100g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa)

matcha flavoured mascarpone cream
Whip the egg yolks with the icing sugar until white and frothy; it should take almost 5 minutes. Fold in the mascarpone cheese and whip again until the mixture is smooth.
Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes and warm up the milk over medium heat (it shouldn’t boil). When the milk is hot enough dissolve the gelatine in it and sieve in the tea.
Mix the gelatine mixture into the mascarpone cream.
Whip the double cream until it forms firm peaks.
Whip the egg whites until stiff and add the sugar to make a soft meringue base. Fold in the whipped cream.
Finally fold the cream-meringue into the tea mixture, divide between 4 ramekins, cover with cling film and chill for at least 4 hours (though overnight would be better).

the next day : make the dark chocolate sponge
Pre-heat the oven at 180°C.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg and sieve in the flour.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of boiling water and fold into the prepared batter.
Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake for about 10 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then unmould the cake and allow cooling on a wire rack for an hour or so.

assembling the pudding
With a cookie cutter, cut the sponge in circles of the same diameter as the ramekins. Unmould the tea mascarpone cream over the sponge and place in a plate.

making the chocolate sauce
Put the cream and chocolate together in a pan over medium heat and mix until you’ve got a smooth ganache. Spoon this over your puddings.

My feelings: at the first bite you feel the mascarpone cream melting in your mouth, a mellow tenderness of the mascarpone and a slight but not over-powering taste of tea then comes the depth of the chocolate (cake and sauce), which makes a perfect balanced pudding and finally you re-get the taste of tea that tickles your tongue.

One more thing: if you haven’t any time to make the chocolate sponge (although it’s not long to make nor it is to bake) or if you love the matcha mascarpone cream as it is (and i’m one of those) you can just make the cream and you’ll get a wonderful MATCHA MASCARPONE PANNA COTTA. Indeed if the cream goes well with dark chocolate, it’s good enough as itself and i might reckon that i prefer the cream alone, which allows the tea flavour to developp into the mouth along with the mascarpone creaminess. All i’m writing at the moment gives me the need to urge towards the fridge and pick another matcha mascarpone panna cotta.