matcha

On a seemingly normal Winter day, my friend and fellow ice cream addict Alisa excitedly mentioned that her neighborhood grocery was now carrying Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in the freezer section. "Jeni's Splendid what?" I asked her, not having heard of it before. "Only the best ice cream in the whole wide world of ice cream!" she swooned. Like a Looney Tunes cartoon, it was as though her pupils had turned into ice cream cones.

Even though it was 40 degrees outside (not conducive weather for ice cream), it was only a matter of minutes before we made an outrageously expensive purchase of seasonal ice cream flavors like Dark Chocolate Peppermint and Sweet Potato with Toasted Marshmallows. Upon the first spoonful of the organic, grass-fed ice cream, I knew I wouldn't mind paying $12 a pint for this fluffy, creamy stuff that puts the frozen food section to shame. Just ask my fellow YumSugar editors how many animated twirls I did around the office when we received a special package from Jeni's recently. So, I preface this ice cream recipe with this declaration: even though Summer's over, it's always Jeni's ice cream season.

This particular recipe uses Jeni's ice cream base with the addition of matcha green tea powder. The matcha is present but not overwhelming and offers a slight grassy, roasted flavor to the cream. It is undeniably Jeni's in character: so fluffy like marshmallows and light like whipped cream, you'll wonder where the whole milk went. I mean, really, how does she do it?

Garnish the ice cream with candied ginger for a spicy punch and brown rice puffs for a contrasting bit of crunch.

Are you ready to bring the recipe home?

When we received canisters of the Republic of Tea U-Matcha ($18), our eyes lit up as our imaginations brewed all the possible matcha-flavored recipes we could create. Thus far, I've made matcha tea three ways and matcha salad dressing. Nicole gets a serious surge of excitement over shortbread, which inspired her take on matcha shortbread. As for me, marshmallows are my most coveted sweet, which means I had to develop this recipe immediately.

Instead of the more commonplace addition of vanilla extract, add a matcha slurry of the tea whisked with a little water. The mallows are coated in a vibrant jade powder, made of confectioner's sugar, cornstarch, and matcha. As for the flavor, those who love matcha and green tea will find these pillowy treats don't skimp out on the roasted, earthy green tea flavor. If the bitterness of matcha's a bit much for you, feel free to scale back to the amount listed in the recipe.

Either way, these matcha marshmallows are slightly grassy on the nose but taste like a foamy, sweetened green tea latte. Eat the marshmallows alone or toss them in hot milk chocolate or a tea latte. Swirl them into ice cream or frozen yogurt. I'm even dreaming up a Japanese-style s'mores recipe . . . More on that later, but for now check out the matcha marshmallow recipe.

Common in Japanese cuisine, bento boxes consist of divided sections of vegetables, protein, and grains that are carefully arranged in an attractive way to amplify the allure of even the most simple food preparations. They make a tidy take-to-work lunch, too. This Japanese salad, organized in bento fashion, is a fresh take on a fast, easy, and portable lunch option.

The matcha dressing, which draws the flavors of the raw vegetables and tofu together, makes this salad truly memorable. Inspired by a Republic of Tea employee who experimented with The Republic of Tea U-Matcha ($18) in a salad dressing recipe, it was loved so much that the company decided to print the recipe on a pamphlet, which is included in each canister of the tea. I used U-Matcha Yuzu, a citrus-scented matcha green tea, to heighten the fresh, zingy tang of the dressing; however, regular matcha works well in this recipe too.

U-Matcha plays off of the Japanese term umami, the word used to describe the savory flavor in food. Even though matcha in tea form tastes grassy and earthy, when used in recipes like this salad dressing, it bursts with a flavor that is subtly fishy and sea-like (in a good way!).

The sweet carrots, spicy daikon, creamy avocado, tart cabbage, and crumbly tofu combine with the matcha dressing for a color- and flavor-rich salad that engages all the senses of the palate. Prep all the ingredients first, and place them in separate bowls or plastic containers to make it easier and faster to arrange the salad. Bonus: it's a cinch to store any leftovers for another day. Learn how to whisk a batch of matcha dressing for your next bento salad.

Living with a caffeine junkie means that much of our counter space is devoted to its consumption. Nespresso pods, coffee beans, cans of Diet Coke, rogue bottles of 5-Hour Energy, and a whole host of tea bags seem to multiply overnight; but until recently I hadn't experimented much with consuming caffeine in solid form.

Coffee has long been the star "secret" ingredient in chocolate desserts, adding depth and bitterness to chocolate cupcakes, coffee toffee crunch bars, chocolate mascarpone trifles, and the like, but I'm more of a tea drinker, so hadn't given it much play. That is, until I had my first bite of green tea mochi covered ice cream; the green tea's delicate but savory flavor had me reaching for seconds.

Keep reading for the caffeine-spiked cookie recipe.