*Note: “Movie Monday” will now be “Movie Munchies,” because I’ve remembered that I can barely function on Mondays, let alone try to tie together a recipe and a movie. You’ll see Movie Munchies posts on…whatever day they happen to be posted. Hope you keep enjoying!
So I have a confession to make. I didn’t make these with Movie Munchies in mind – I made them because a coworker requested them for his birthday last week, and I was so happy that he did. I’ve been dying to make these and share them for a really long time now, and I’m super happy that I didn’t have to wait for autumn and apple season. And while I didn’t make these with a movie in mind, it’s really not that hard to find a movie with a plot point central to apple pie.
I know a lot of people believe that green tea is magical. The arguments for its numerous health benefits are pretty convincing – preventing and fighting cancer, decreasing cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease, clearing up skin, and fighting obesity? Sounds pretty good. So what do you do when you have a packet of powdered green tea, chock full of antioxidants and just waiting to help you lose your winter weight and lower your cholesterol?
You use it to make cupcakes, of course.
Yes, I’m aware that converting green tea into a baked good does a pretty good job of negating all the positive things it can do for you. Counterpoint: cupcakes.
I think we all know who’s winning this debate. Cupcakes always win.
With cold season in full swing, I wanted these to be as close to a warm, comforting mug of tea as you can get in a cupcake – and honestly, it was so close that after tasting these, I wondered for a minute why I hadn’t just brewed myself a cup of green tea and called it a day. This is definitely a subtle, grown-up cupcake, but that’s not to its detriment at all. The fresh, slightly grassy flavor of matcha powder* is balanced perfectly by the tartness of lemon, and the light-as-air Swiss meringue buttercream allows the distinctive sweetness of honey to shine through without being lost under cups of powdered sugar. They may not cure cancer or lower your cholesterol, but I’d argue that they reveal a whole new layer of green tea’s benefits.
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