A sugary delight

DOWN FOODPATH

I was born and brought up in Dehradun and have worked in various places across India. I have worked in cities like Delhi, Gurgaon and now Bengaluru and also quainter places like Rishikesh and The Himalayas. Though this is my passion and profession now, I was not that keen on cooking as a kid and hence, wouldn’t cook that often.

But I always loved eating pastries. So after I finished my schooling, I decided to pursue hotel management and specialise in the field of making pastries.

I learnt this recipe of ‘Green Tea Opera’ in Montreal, Canada, where I had gone for a training a few years back. There is a popular chef there by the name of Philippe Laloux, who owns a few pastry restaurants.

I learnt it from him and was captivated by the different processes that the recipe involved. Every time I made it, I would do it in a different way.

The recipe that I am sharing has three layers. So even here, while I have prepared the bottom layer in a traditional way, the top two are done in a different way. The chocolate ganache adds all the more to the flavour.

I have very fond memories of this dish. It’s not only delicious to eat but also fun to make.
In fact, once when I was in The Imperial, Delhi, I made this dessert and one of the guests loved it so much that he called me up to tell me about it.

Matcha, the key ingredient of the dish, is a fine quality green tea. However, it’s hard to find it in the market. So those who are preparing it at home can just replace it with any other brand of green tea that is available in the stores. Another thing they should keep in mind is the softness of the sponge.

For this, the batter has to be aerated as that’s what makes it light and the sponge soft. This can be achieved by separating the yolk and the white and making a meringue of the white.

The process may be many but they are all simple and in the end, you get a dessert that’s absolutely lip-smacking.”  

Method:
Green tea sponge
Line the baking tray with parchment and grease it with butter. Beat the egg whites in a bowl until they form soft peaks. Add the Castor Sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. Beat the almonds, icing sugar, Matcha and eggs in another bowl until light and voluminous. Add the flour and beat until it is just combined.

Fold the meringue into the almond mixture. Fold in the butter. Pour the Batter into the pan.  Bake in a preheated 425F oven until lightly browned and just springy to the touch, about five to nine minutes.

Peel of the parchments paper flip and cover the cake while it cools.

Green tea buttercream
Mix the sugar and Matcha in a small bowl. Whisk the sugar and Matcha into the egg whites in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until the mixture is hot to touch for about three minutes. (The sugar should be dissolved and the mixture should look like shiny marshmallow cream).    Remove the bowl from the heat and beat until the cream is cool, about five minutes. Beat in the butter one stick at a time. Beat the mixture until it thickens and becomes smooth for about 20 minutes.

Chocolate ganache
Melt the chocolate into a double boiler. Add butter. Refrigerate until used.