Crunchy Matcha Topping: A Shell for Ice Cream

Does the sauce on your ice cream stay soft under the spoon? For frozen matcha desserts, this warm topping forms a thin shell on six well-frozen scoops. You'll need 2.1 oz (60 g) white chocolate, 0.5 oz (15 g) coconut oil, about 1 tsp (2 g) matcha, and 14 minutes.

• Prep 10 minutes
• Heat the chocolate 4 minutes
• Rest none
• Total 14 minutes
• Yield 6 desserts
• Equipment saucepan, dry heatproof bowl, small whisk, fine sieve, spoon, and six chilled dessert dishes

Essence, which Kura-ge sells for cooking, goes into the chocolate here.

Ingredients for crunchy matcha topping

• 2.1 oz (60 g) white baking chocolate
• 0.5 oz (15 g) coconut oil
• About 1 tsp (2 g) matcha
• 10.6 oz (300 g) vanilla ice cream containing milk and eggs, or six 1.8 oz (50 g) scoops

Make the crunchy matcha topping

1. Make six 1.8 oz (50 g) scoops from the 10.6 oz (300 g) ice cream and keep them in the freezer.
2. Chop the 2.1 oz (60 g) white chocolate.
3. Pour 3/4 inch (2 cm) water into the saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over low heat.
4. Place the white chocolate and 0.5 oz (15 g) coconut oil in a small dry bowl above the water, without touching it.
5. Melt gently for about 4 minutes, stirring.
6. Take the bowl off the heat.
7. Sift about 1 tsp (2 g) matcha over the melted mixture.
8. Whisk gently until the color is even.
9. Let the topping cool until warm for 2 minutes, without letting it set in the bowl.
10. Divide the six ice cream scoops among the chilled dishes.
11. Pour about one-sixth of the topping in a thin layer over each scoop.
12. Wait about 1 minute for the shell to firm up, then serve.

Pour a thin layer so it cracks under the spoon instead of encasing the ice cream in thick chocolate. Too hot, the mixture would melt the scoop before setting. It should still flow, but only be warm.

Which matcha for this white chocolate shell?

For this white chocolate shell, we choose our Essence powder for desserts. Sift about 1 tsp (2 g) after melting to avoid powdery spots. If the layer gets too thick, the chocolate masks the tea's taste more easily.

Why does the shell set on ice cream?

On contact with a very cold surface, the chocolate and coconut oil firm up. Keep the scoops in the freezer until serving. On a cake at room temperature, the mixture would stay softer: here, you want a shell to crack, not a sauce for warm cake.

Our tip. Test a small spoonful of topping on one scoop. If it doesn't harden because the ice cream has softened, put the remaining scoops back in the freezer before coating them.

Allergens. The white chocolate and ice cream contain milk; the chosen ice cream contains eggs. Check the chocolate label for soy.