Matcha balls
Matcha is a very fine, vibrantly green, Japanese powdered tea made by steaming, drying and milling hand-picked green tea leaves. It's the new "green" choice in cafe circles, due to its unique health properties and delicately grassy, citrussy, subtly sweet taste. Nuts, seeds and coconut blended with matcha, fresh avocado, coconut oil and mint make a beautifully light, chewy bliss ball in a pretty shade of green.
Ingredients
100g cashews
100g ground almonds
100g sunflower or pumpkin seeds
100g desiccated coconut
100g avocado, peeled and chopped
100g dried apricots, chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp rice malt syrup or honey
1 tsp matcha green tea powder*
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
Coating
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp matcha
* Matcha is available in Japanese food stores and health food stores. Matcha Maiden organic matcha is available online matchamaiden.com.au and from About Life stores NSW and Aunt Maggie's stores in Victoria. aboutlife.com.au auntmaggies.com.au. Kenko matcha is available from kenkotea.com.au
Method
1. Combine the cashews, almonds and sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor and whiz until fine. Add the coconut, avocado, dried apricots, coconut oil, rice malt syrup, matcha and fresh mint and whiz until smooth and the mixture starts to form into a ball.
2. Lightly wet your palms and roll into small balls, around 20 to 22 grams each.
3. To make the coating, mix the coconut, chia seeds and matcha. Roll each ball in the mixture until coated, and refrigerate for three or four hours until firm. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week, or longer in the freezer.
TIP: Don't confuse matcha with sencha, bancha or other Japanese teas in leaf form.
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Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/goodfood/recipes/matcha-balls-20150422-3ujwo.html