Dark chocolate cupcake with matcha green tea frosting

Meet Mizuba's Community: Nibs & Greens

October 15, 2015

Mizuba was born out of relationships made over cups of tea. We could not imagine where we’d be without our amazing, talented, and innovative friends who amplify our tea into treats, lattes, salts, ice cream, marshmallows…goodness, if you can dream something in Matcha, we’ll find the people who can make it happen.

And we want to introduce you to them!

Nibs & Greens

Reya and Hallie know that life is a balance. We're all tempted by indulgences, but what if those indulgences didn't have to be a temptation? Thus began Nibs and Greens - the vision for people to feel good about a "mindful indulgence" in the forms of raw cookies, brownies, and cakes....especially Mizuba matcha treats!

We asked these two lovely ladies why Mizuba Matcha is their favorite, and why they appreciate Matcha for their ultimate plant-based, good-for-you desserts!

1) What brought you to clean living and eating?

-We grew up in an exceptionally health-conscious household: organic and vegetarian. Later on we pursued an exercise-science background, where we learned how nutrition affected how our body operates, especially after working out, and how food affected our recovery. We're continually educating ourselves, and we've loved discovering how much better nutrient dense foods work for your body - and we love that about matcha...!

2) Great! So how did you fall in love with matcha green tea?

-Our mom first shared it with us…! (Mizuba note - what a RAD mom.) Hallie only liked matcha lattes with hemp milk at first - it's like going from milk chocolate to dark chocolate. It may not be as satisfying for a bit, but then you start to learn what your body craves! The caffeine - oh my gosh - keeps you so clear headed. Like, wow, what did I just drink!? The focus is incredible. Coffee was too much, and maté not quite enough. Matcha doesn't give you a high and then a low - it’s sustained; a constant "calm alternates.” Just try, you’ll understand. So, for us it was a no brainer to use matcha in everything we make! We love its versatility and its benefits.

3) What defines a pure matcha to you?

- The color, to start. The flavor and smell. It has to be fresh, exceedingly bright green and sweet, grassy smelling. The tea has to be creamy.

4) What do you most appreciate about the health benefits of matcha?

- THE CLEAN ENERGY. See above. But Matcha also goes along with most everything we eat. We want to value each thing we put in our bodies. We want to know that I'm fueling our bodies and giving them good things. Matcha is satisfying, comforting, and beyond nutritious (major antioxidants here). We’re giving back to our bodies for all that it does for us. You feel like you’re indulging with a matcha latte or matcha macaroon. It's a win-win!

5) How important is it that you know the source of your matcha?

- Super important for us. Being aware of where you get your products from translates to the quality of product you'll receive. Also, when you know where your product comes from, you can better appreciate the hard work and enormous effort a farmer puts into the growing and craft of their tea. We love that Mizuba Matcha comes from a 100-year old family farm. The farmer dedicates their lives to growing tea for a reason. It’s nice to bring that much more respect to the perspective.

6) Well, so we have to ask: what’s you’re favorite way to enjoy Mizuba…?

- Reya: I love matcha lattes. I really do.

- Hallie: Ohmygosh. That matcha granola. That stuff was insane. But, as much as we love adding matcha, there’s no getting around enjoying it in its pure form and to appreciate the matcha itself. So that and lattes.

Nibs and Greens would like to share a recipe with you!

Matcha Cupcakes with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

This recipe combined two of our favorite mottos: "mindful indulgences" and "matcha everyday". These Matcha Cupcakes with Cinnamon Whipped Cream are light, sweet, cakey, and combine the delicious, subtle flavors of Mizuba Matcha powder and cinnamon. Perfect for fall, these vegan and gluten-free cupcakes will be great for your next tea party!

Matcha Cupcakes

Ingredients

Wet

1/4 cup flax meal + 3/4 cup water

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Dry

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill GF Baking Mix

1 Tbsp. Organic Culinary Mizuba Matcha powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350˚ and line your muffin tin with 6 cupcake liners.
Mix flax meal with water in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine all the wet ingredients into a small bowl. Stir in flax eggs.
In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix thoroughly. The batter will be pretty thick.
Divide the mixture between the 6 cupcake liners, pressing it down to fill in all the sides.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the tops are slightly brown and they're firm to the touch.
Let the cupcakes cool before frosting.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Ingredients

1 can full-fat coconut milk, place in your fridge overnight

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

Scoop out the thick coconut cream from the can and place in a medium bowl, discarding the water that has separated.
Using a standing mixer or hand-held mixer, begin to whip the coconut cream.
Once the cream begins to thicken up, add the remaining ingredients and continue whipping until soft peaks have formed.
Using a cookie scoop, place a large dollop of the whipped cream over each cupcake.
Enjoy immediately or store in your fridge for later!