Strawberry Matcha Crunch Cups
shared by Nibblore Kitchen
Crack through a crisp white chocolate lid to uncover silky matcha cream, juicy strawberries, and a crunchy cookie base. Serving the components in clear cups creates distinct, photogenic layers while a little salt and tart fruit balance the sweetness. Chill the cups thoroughly so every spoonful has contrasting creamy, crisp, and fresh textures. • Use culinary-grade matcha with a vivid green color; dull or old matcha can taste excessively bitter. • Wipe the inside rims clean before adding the chocolate so each shell forms a neat seal. • Drain the macerated berries well, but reserve their syrup to stir into sparkling water or yogurt. • For the cleanest crack, make the chocolate layer thin and serve the cups directly from the refrigerator. • Replace plain crisp cookies with graham crackers or vanilla wafer cookies in the same weight. • Replace cream cheese with full-fat mascarpone for a softer, milder filling. • If heavy cream is unavailable, use an equal volume of chilled whipping cream containing at least 35% fat. • Replace lemon juice with lime juice for a brighter citrus note. Cover and refrigerate the assembled cups for up to 24 hours; after that, the strawberries begin releasing moisture and the cookie layer softens. Do not freeze, as thawed berries become watery and the cream may separate. Serve cold; reheating is not appropriate.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 180 gstrawberries, hulled and cut into 1 cm pieces
- 1 tbspgranulated sugar
- 1 tsplemon juice
- 90 gplain crisp cookies, finely crushed
- 30 gunsalted butter, melted
- 1 pinchfine salt
- 225 gcream cheese, softened
- 60 gpowdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tspmatcha powder, sifted, plus more for finishing
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 180 mlheavy cream, cold
- 150 gwhite chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tspneutral oil
- 3strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced for finishing
Instructions
- 1Set out six straight-sided, clear dessert cups with a capacity of 180–240 ml each. Stir the diced strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice together in a bowl; leave at room temperature for 15 minutes, then drain off the excess juice so it does not soften the layers.
- 2Combine the crushed cookies, melted butter, and salt until the crumbs resemble damp sand. Divide among the cups, about 2 tablespoons per cup, and press gently into even bases with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate while preparing the cream.
- 3Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, sifted matcha, and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1–2 minutes, scraping the bowl once, until smooth and evenly green.
- 4In a separate chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, until it holds firm peaks. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the matcha mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the remainder until no white streaks remain.
- 5Divide half the matcha cream among the cups. Spoon the drained strawberries over it, keeping the fruit about 5 mm away from the cup walls at the top edge, then cover with the remaining matcha cream. Smooth each surface into a flat layer at least 1 cm below the rim. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until cold and firm.
- 6Put the white chocolate and neutral oil in a dry, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power in 20-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each interval, until just melted and smooth, about 1–2 minutes total. Let it cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; it should remain fluid but no longer feel hot.
- 7Spoon about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate over each chilled cup and quickly tilt the cup to form a thin, complete lid. If necessary, add just enough chocolate to close any gaps; an overly thick layer will be difficult to crack. Refrigerate for 15–20 minutes, until the shells are fully set.
- 8Top each shell with sliced strawberry and a light dusting of matcha immediately before serving. Tap the center firmly with the back of a teaspoon to crack the shell, then dig through all the layers.