Valentine’s Day is coming up and with it comes gifts of chocolates! But if you really want to make your Valentine feel special, homemade chocolates are the way to go, like these matcha lavender nama chocolates!
Nama chocolates are creamy, decadent bites of pure chocolate goodness that just melt in your mouth. Just one bite and they will win your heart (…or the heart of your Valentine!). They look extremely impressive and professional when cut into perfect little squares or rectangles, but they’re actually super easy to make!
To start, you will melt the white chocolate with just a tiny bit of butter for extra flavor, and then you will infuse the heavy cream with lavender as you heat it up. Then you mix the lavender-infused cream into the white chocolate, stir in some matcha, chill, and then once you cut them into pieces, you’re done!
tips for success
- Use high-quality white chocolate and matcha powder – There are very few ingredients in this recipe, so it is extra important to use good quality ingredients for a better taste. I used Lindt white chocolate and Maeda-En’s matcha powder. Generally, the more vibrant the matcha powder, the better quality it is. Therefore, using ceremonial-grade is ideal, but if you don’t want to splurge, you can also use culinary-grade.
- Use a warm knife and clean it before each cut – In order to get the cleanest, most precise rectangles or squares, make sure you run the knife under hot water and wipe off the excess chocolate after each cut. Additionally, if you want it to look professional and out of a chocolate shop, use a ruler for identical pieces.
Love anything with matcha? Then you should try out my matcha butter mochi or my matcha white chocolate pretzel cookies!
matcha lavender nama chocolates
makes about 12 pieces
ingredients:
- 6 oz high-quality white chocolate, finely cut
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon culinary lavender
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder, like this one
- more matcha powder, for dusting
instructions:
- Line a 9 by 5 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl, add the white chocolate and butter. Microwave on high for 10-second bursts (stirring in between) until just melted. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and lavender together over medium heat until small bubbles just start to form around the edges. Immediately remove from the heat, and strain the cream into the bowl with white chocolate in step two. Mix with a spatula until smooth, and then sift in the matcha powder, folding it in until evenly mixed.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan, and gently tap the pan on the counter a few times (to get rid of air bubbles). Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.
- Using a warm, sharp knife, cut the chocolate into your desired square portions, cleaning the knife between each cut.
- Sift a little extra matcha powder onto the squares, and enjoy!
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator.