Matcha Picchu: A Matcha, Strawberry, and Milk Caramel Dessert

These little matcha tea pyramids are filled with layers of strawberry preserve, dulce de leche and creamy caramel chantilly.

Matcha Picchu Dessert

I’ve been working in the kitchen a lot this week. Mostly because it’s been raining in biblical proportions and even when the wet weather breaks long enough to step outside, the humidity is smothering. Needless to say, I’ve been staying indoors and spending all my time monkeying around in the kitchen.

Experimenting with matcha tea in desserts is one of my all-time favorite pastimes. Recently, one of my attempts resulted in matcha candy coating. I am especially excited about this development because I am a HUGE fan of matcha tea Kitkats. Mark my words, a homemade version is on the horizon!

Matcha Picchu Dessert

Until then, these little matcha desserts are worth some attention. I call them Matcha Picchu. It seems like a fitting name since they are vaguely mountain-shaped and covered in matcha candy coating. At the summit, you’ll find a pocket of dulce de leche, followed by a layer of strawberry preserves. The bottom half is filled with dulce de leche Chantilly, and then the confections are placed on buttered graham cracker crumbs.

Matcha Picchu Dessert

Each finished dessert makes a generous single serving. I topped each Matcha Picchu with a small piece of gold leaf, hinting to the golden summit of dulce de leche underneath.

You can find the Freshware mold I used for this dessert here. I love these molds so much because they are dishwasher, microwave and oven-safe. I’m amassing quite a collection which would normally be a problem storage-wise, but because they are silicone I can roll them up or fold them for storage in large zip-top bags.

Matcha Picchu Dessert

If you don’t like the idea of buying a mold to make these, you can also use cupcake liners. Just paint the interior of the liners with the matcha candy coating and allow it to firm before placing the filling inside. After the desserts are chilled, they can be inverted and the cupcake liner can be peeled away. See this previous blog postfor the technique.

To make the matcha candy coating, I used Ghirardelli Chocolate White Candy Wafers and ceremonial quality matcha tea powder. I’d usually recommend culinary grade matcha for desserts, but since it’s not being baked in bread or cake, then the ceremonial grade will yield the most favorable color and flavor in the candy coating. The Matcha Picchu recipe will not use an entire batch of the matcha candy coating, so I used a square break-apart candy tray to mold the leftover coating (you can find that here).

Matcha Picchu

Heather Baird
I use a silicone pyramid mold to make these confections, but cupcake liners may also be used (see this post for reference).
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

  • silicone pyramid mold

Ingredients
  

Matcha candy coating

  • 12 ounces white chocolate melting wafers I like Ghiradelli
  • 1 tablespoon ceremonial grade matcha tea powder

Assembly

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned dulce de leche
  • 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • Edible gold leaf optional

Instructions
 

  • Melt the wafers in a microwave-safe bowl at 100% at 30 second intervals until the mixture can be stirred smooth. Sift the matcha tea powder over the candy while it is still hot and pourable. Fold well using a rubber spatula until the mixture is consistently green and smooth. Use immediately or pour into a break-apart candy mold and chill until firm. Store the candy in a zip-top bag until ready to use.Melt matcha candy coating in the microwave at 75% power at 30 second intervals. The candy is ready for use when it is smooth and pourable.
  • Using a small pastry brush or a 1 1/2-inch flat artists’ brush, paint the melted matcha candy coating into a 6-cavity pyramid mold (each cavity should hold 18 ounces each). Make sure to paint the candy all the way to the top of the cavities. Place the mold in the freezer until set, about 5 minutes. Remove from the freezer and paint another layer of matcha candy into the cavities; make sure to cover any thin spots in the previously painted candy. Freeze again until set. Remove from the freezer.
  • Place 1 teaspoon of dulce de leche in each cavity, followed by 1 teaspoon strawberry preserves. Beat the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the remaining dulce de leche and beat again until stiff peaks form. Fill the cavities with the whipped cream until overflowing. Scrape the entire mold level using an offset spatula. Refrigerate the desserts until ready to serve (you will have some leftover dulce de leche Chantilly, so serve a dollop on the side of the desserts or consider using it in your afternoon coffee!)
  • Before serving, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a large bowl until the mixture resembles wet sand. Pour a little of the crumbs on to each of 6 dessert plates, or pour all of the crumbs on a large serving tray. Pop the Matcha Picchu out from the molds from the bottom- up. Carefully invert the desserts over the crumbs. Garnish with gold leaf, if desired.
Keyword graham cracker crumbs, matcha green tea, strawberry preserves
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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michelle lopez
michelle lopez
8 years ago

Adorable! Loving that pun too 😉

Beauty Follower
Beauty Follower
8 years ago

OMG… fantastic!
Like a little hidden treasure 😉

http://beautyfollower.blogspot.gr

Caroline @ Pass the Cocoa
Caroline @ Pass the Cocoa
8 years ago

So cute! I love the name you gave these (:

La Table De Nana
La Table De Nana
8 years ago

Happy to have a new recipe for my pyramid mold..so pretty!

Rosa's Yummy Yums
Rosa's Yummy Yums
8 years ago

Beautiful and irresistible!

Cheers,

Rosa

œuvres d'art originales
œuvres d'art originales
8 years ago

Incredible! And I concur with your ingenuity in naming these beauties. Well done you! Cheers, Ardith

œuvres d'art originales
œuvres d'art originales
8 years ago

Incredible! And I concur with your ingenuity in naming these beauties. Cheers, Ardith

Roshini
Roshini
8 years ago

I lived in Nepal for a good 5 years and the name of your new dessert caught me! How clever you are 😉
I'm dreaming of the endless possibilities of different flavors this can be reproduced in. Thanks 😉

June Burns
June Burns
8 years ago

Holy cow that is one gorgeous dessert! Love the punny title 🙂

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

So much to love! Matcha is so great in desserts – has such a great flavour and colour – and also loving the excellent name 🙂

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

your imagination is only surpassed by your skill

Medeja- CranberryJam
Medeja- CranberryJam
8 years ago

Omg! It looks so cool!

Fabiana
Fabiana
8 years ago

Amazing and exclusive dessert!!!!!!!!

Katy | Her Cup of Joy
Katy | Her Cup of Joy
8 years ago

These look so amazing, you are one creative cook! I love this idea and the name thing you have going on! Too too cute!

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

Looks so good! Love the name, too! So cute and creative! You're a great baker, keep it up!

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

Love this! At first sight I thought the filling was Cheesecake – Hmm Cheesecake!

Katherines Corner
Katherines Corner
8 years ago

loving this! Creative and tasty for certain. I invite you to share at my Thursday blog hop ( you can link up and share through Saturday midnight) xo

Kara
Kara
8 years ago

You are so adorbs!! I wish I could see inside your brain and how you come up with these recipes!

ilona
ilona
8 years ago

What a pretty dessert! Looks so sweet!

Anca
Anca
8 years ago

They look incredible! I like everything about them, the shape, the presentation, the flavours.

C's Confetti
C's Confetti
8 years ago

I love matcha! This is so cute!

http://csconfetti.blogspot.com

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago

This looks amazing. How would you create the matcha candy coat if you don't have a microwave? Ours broke years ago and we haven't found a need to buy a new one yet.

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
3 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

Hi! You can melt the white chocolate wafers over low heat on the stove top until smooth. As soon as the mixture is smooth, remove it from the heat and sift over the matcha. Then just follow the remaining instructions.