Ingredients

* Homemade heavy cream

• 3 oz of whole milk
• 3 tbsp (45 g) of melted unsalted butter
  

Warm milk in microwave for 30-45 seconds on high. Melt butter in microwave or on stove top. In a heat-safe glass measuring cup, whisk together milk and butter until combined. Refrigerate bowl with heavy cream while preparing the rest of the ingredients for this recipe.

Directions

Sift matcha into a heat-safe measuring cup. Add hot water to matcha and whisk with a bamboo matcha whisk for 30 seconds. Slowly add-in sugar, and continue whisking until everything dissolves completely.

In a small saucepan, bring whole milk, heavy cream, and salt to simmer over medium heat; stir occasionally with a metal whisk. Reduce heat to low and add matcha mixture to the saucepan. Whisk for 20 minutes or until mixture has reduced by half. The jam texture should be thick, yet smooth and creamy.

Turn off heat and carefully pour jam into an 8 ounce heat-safe jar. Let jam cool completely (about 30-40 minutes). Tighten lid on the jar and refrigerate overnight. Matcha Milk Jam will continue to thicken as it cools. Keep refrigerated and enjoy within a week.

Yield: approximately 6 oz.

Notes

This recipe is based on a post from Sift & Simmer; which originally called for “heavy cream” to be used. However, I discovered that most stores in California do not stock heavy cream because it has a limited shelf-life. Fortunately, it’s easy to make your own with just a few ingredients (see above). Heavy whipping cream is not the same thing as heavy cream, and unfortunately it is not a good substitution.

When you are cooking the jam, if the heat is too low, then the jam will be too runny. If this happens, continue whisking for 5-10 more minutes.

If you would like a vegan alternative, the following ingredients can be substituted:

• replace ½ cup (125 ml) of whole milk with plain almond milk
• vegan heavy cream: replace with 3 oz of plain almond milk and 3 tbsp (45 g) of melted coconut butter (coconut oil), canola oil, or vegan butter; follow same instructions as above for making regular homemade heavy cream*

I would not recommend using coconut milk (or coconut cream) because it has more saturated fat than whole milk. It will also give the jam a coconut flavor that will overpower the matcha.

Reference

Here is a list of ingredients and equipment I used for this recipe:

Matchæologist Midori™ Culinary Matcha
Enter promo code: MOSTLYMATCHA during checkout for a 15% storewide discount (no expiration, and no minimum)

Matchæologist Full-Hand Chasen (Full-length bamboo matcha whisk)

Rösle Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer (for sifting matcha)

ZYLISS Quik Blend Whisk

Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless 1-Quart Saucepan with Cover

Kerr Wide Mouth 8 Oz. Glass Mason Jars

Story

I’ve been playing with this recipe for a few months now. I made more than four different batches before I found the best matcha to sugar ratio and a texture I liked. I’m still experimenting with the vegan version of this recipe, and I plan to make a separate post of it later. The vegan version has a different flavor and texture that I haven’t figured out yet.

When I give the Matcha Milk Jam to friends, I’m often asked how it can be used. Here are a few my suggestions:

Matcha Milk Jam, honey, and pine nuts; on challah bread.

Matcha Milk Jam and almond butter; on brioche bread. I call this “The Military Toast”—inspired by the colors of The Military Latte at Sawada Coffee in Chicago.

Try Matcha Milk Jam on a waffle, or with some oatmeal… The possibilities are endless. What’s your favorite combination?

Let me know if you have any questions or feedback. I’d love to see your jam on Instagram or Twitter—please share by using my hashtag: #mostlymatchablog. You can also leave a comment below.

Thank you and matcha cheers,

jz