This matcha-misu(a take on Italian tiramisu, but using matcha green tea instead of coffee), came about because I had a surplus of matcha powder. I love matcha, but somehow I found myself with a ton of matcha powder because of friends continuously gifting it to me. Since I did not want to let the matcha go bad(yes, matcha does have a shelf life after which it loses its vibrant green color and grassy bitterness), I had to think of matcha desserts I could make, and quick. One that was really fast to put together was matcha-misu. Ladyfingers, a matcha soak, and whipped mascarpone mousse. Tiramisu is not a terribly difficult dessert to make as it begins with. The soak is super straightforward, while the ladyfinger making process becomes dramatically easier if you have a stand mixer to do the egg white/yolk whisking for you. The mousse is probably the most technical part of this recipe, since you need to make a sabayon(whipped egg yolk custard), and fold that with the mascarpone without it splitting. The key is making sure that the mascarpone is room temperature, but not hot. Hot mascarpone will split. Room temperature mascarpone will hold its form just right. Overall, this is a quick and simple recipe that can be made and prepared within 90 minutes – and probably in just 45 minutes if you wanted to do mini individual servings instead of a 6-inch cake version!

For the ladyfingers:
3 egg whites
1 egg yolk
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch

Whip your sugar, egg whites, vanilla, and salt together to stiff peaks. Sift your cornstarch into the egg yolk. Then sift on top of that your flour. Fold in the egg whites, one third at a time, until everything is fully incorporated. Pipe the ladyfinger batter onto a lined sheet tray to be 1/2-inch wide and about 3 inches long. Optionally, you can dust onto the unbaked sponge batter some confectioner’s sugar. This will help with the browning. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes. Allow these to cool before using for assembly.

For the matcha soak:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp ceremonial matcha powder
a pinch of salt

Allow for the sugar to dissolve in the water before whisking in the matcha and salt, mixing until everything is combined and lump-free.

For the sweetened mascarpone mousse:
1/4 cup granulated sugar, in two parts
1/4 cup water
2 egg yolks
8oz mascarpone cheese
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a pot, heat up half of the sugar with the water, bringing that to a boil. In another bowl, whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until it reaches ribbon stage – the egg yolks will be pale yellow in color and will be very thick in consistency. Pour the boiling sugar syrup into the egg yolks while whisking – this will pasteurize the egg yolks. Fold into that softened room temperature mascarpone, the salt, and vanilla to form your mousse.

For assembly:
Ceremonial matcha powder

In a 6-inch ring mold, layer in half of the lady fingers. Pour onto that half of the soak. Then spread onto that roughly 40% of the mascarpone. Repeat these steps. Transfer the rest of the mascarpone to a piping bag. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before unmolding it. Pipe the remaining mascarpone on top and dust with more ceremonial matcha to finish.