Chocolate Matcha Coconut Cups
This week’s episode is all about green tea, dark chocolate, and red wine. All three of these crowd-pleasers have nutrients to offer. Green tea is high in catechins (a type of polyphenol), which are antioxidants that may decrease risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol, and decrease inflammation. Red wine has resveratrol (another type of polyphenol) , antioxidants that may protect the lining of the blood vessels in the heart and also may prevent blood clots and lower LDL (the ‘bad’ cholesterol). Dark chocolate also has catechins which may also help lower blood pressure. So all three of these drinks and food, in moderation, could improve our health.
This week’s recipe combines matcha green tea powder and dark chocolate. Have a glass of red wine with it, and you’ve got the trifecta!
Chocolate Matcha Coconut Cups
Inspired by a post on Foodandwine.com
Ingredients:
5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup
salt
Directions:
Place liners in small muffin cups or cut small circles of parchment paper and line small cups or ramekins with parchment circles.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or in the microwave). Spoon a small amount of melted chocolate into each lined cup, enough to cover the bottom of each cup; freeze for 5 minutes.
Mix coconut oil, matcha powder, and maple syrup together in a bowl until smooth; spoon onto the frozen chocolate. Top matcha mixture layer with more melted chocolate so that the matcha layer is completely coated. Sprinkle salt over each. Refrigerate cups until set, at least 1 hour.