I’m coming down with a cold or flu, so what better time to get in a healthy dose of matcha than now? I haven’t tried Pumpkin Pie with the green matcha base, but I thought I may enjoy it better with a black matcha base, which I haven’t tried until now, because I find that spices go better with black tea, anyway.
So black base. Check. Robust flavour. Check. Basic grade. Check.
Dry, the powder smells quite spicy. The cinnamon is at the forefront, followed by the clove, then nutmeg. I can’t smell any pumpkin in there, but the combination of spices most definitely suggests pumpkin pie.
I’ve prepared this in two ways. The first time, I tried this hot. I did the usual, sifted the powder, added a bit of water, mixed it up, added a bit more hot water, then added some So Delicious coconut milk. I also added in about ½ tsp of white sugar. The base is a little stronger than I had expected. A bit bitter, but that bite melds into the fiery spices.
I prefer how I prepared it the second way, as a cold latte. I combined about 1 tsp of matcha with three ice cubes, ¾ cup water, ¼ cup So Delicious coconut milk, and half a tsp of honey. Now this is more my style. Cold, the spices and bitterness have mellowed. This now has a much creamier vibe, like pie itself. I’ve also noticed that the cinnamon isn’t as strong when cold. The nutmeg and clove are definitely more prominent. Plus, the black base is definitely quite a bit bolder than your typical green base, though.
Check out Pumpkin Pie Matcha here!: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pumpkin-pie-matcha.html
Too bad I used up the rest of my fresh pumpkin purée. I could have added some to the cookie dough, or made pumpkin cranberry loaf with a shot of this. That would have been awesome!
