Matcha lava chocolate cookies

The flavour combination I discovered I like a lot

Matcha + chocolate. About a year and a half ago, I had this very chocolaty bun from Toad Bakery. It was so dense and rich in chocolate, even more than a very chocolaty cake, filled with chocolate custard, topped with chocolate ganache, and dusted with matcha powder on top. It looked very cool, this bright green against all that dark chocolate. But what really surprised me were the bites from the tops of the buns where you’d get everything at once the chocolate dough, the custard, the ganache, and the dusted matcha. It was such a good flavour combination, better than I expected. And it is not like I was expecting anything in particular, but I did discover beauty that day. The matcha added its earthy notes, adding brightness and a slight bitterness that made chocolate taste even better.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it, or at least was thinking of it from time to time. When I was planning what cookies to make for the next Good Box, that flavour combination came straight back to mind. But I knew a dusting of matcha on top wouldn’t be enough, it would look pretty but wouldn’t give you that punch of flavour. So I decided to make a liquid matcha ganache filling as well, something molten and intense that would burst out when you broke the cookie open.

It turned out to be exactly what I wanted, seriously strong in both flavours. Nicely crispy and soft chocolate cookie with a bright and creamy matcha lava on the inside is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

These are proper chocolate cookies, deeply cocoa-forward with a hint of coffee, and tucked inside each one is a matcha white chocolate truffle that melts as the cookie bakes. When you break them open whilst they’re still warm, you see the ganache oozing out. It’s intense but not overwhelming, it’s sweet but balanced, and just exciting to me.

I kept the dough quite simple - cold butter, cocoa powder, a touch of coffee to deepen the chocolate, and chopped dark chocolate throughout. I decided that this cookie does not need an additional egg yolk as the dough is already quite rich from the butter and chocolate. I wanted them chewy but not dense, the additional egg yolk works for simpler kind of cookies, the ones that don’t have any fillings, when you really are savouring the cookie and the dough. The single egg gives you just enough structure. The cookies themselves are chewy with slightly crisp edges, and they’re semi-big, about 100g each, so they’re substantial and impressive. You could make them smaller if you want, but I like them this size.

These are not for everyday, but that’s exactly why they’re so good.

Makes about 8-10 big cookies

For the chocolate cookie dough:

• 125g unsalted butter, cold and cubed

• 70g light brown sugar

• 80g white sugar

• Good pinch of salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp instant coffee powder (optional but recommended)

• 1 egg

• 190g plain flour

• 50g cocoa powder

• 4g baking powder (about 3/4 tsp)

• 3g bicarbonate of soda (about 1/2 tsp)

• 100-150g dark chocolate, chopped

For the matcha white chocolate ganache

• 100g white chocolate, chopped

• 90g double cream

• 4-5 tsp matcha powder (use good quality culinary grade matcha)

First - matcha ganache

Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the double cream until it just starts to simmer, don’t let it boil.

Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let it sit for about 30-60 seconds. Then whisk or blend with immersion blender everything together until smooth and glossy. It should come together into a silky ganache.

Sift in the matcha powder and whisk until fully incorporated. You want the ganache to be bright green and completely smooth with no lumps of matcha.

Let the ganache cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until it’s firm enough to scoop and roll into balls.

Now the chocolate cookie dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and coffee powder (if using). Using a wooden spoon mix everything together until the butter is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Add the egg and mix until smooth and glossy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Make sure there are no lumps of cocoa.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold everything together with a spatula until about halfway combined. You should still see streaks of flour.

Add the chopped dark chocolate and fold until just combined. The dough will be thick, rich, and deeply chocolatey.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling makes the dough easier to handle and helps the cookies hold their shape when baking.

Now we shape the cookies

Once the ganache is cold and firm, use a teaspoon or small scoop to portion it out into balls, about 15-20g each (roughly the size of a large cherry). Roll them quickly between your palms to make them smooth and round. You should get about 8-10 balls. Keep them cold whilst you work with the cookie dough.

Oven to 175°C. Line your baking trays with baking parchment.

Take the chilled cookie dough and divide it into portions of about 100g each. You should get 8-10 cookies depending on how generous you are.

Take one portion of dough and flatten it slightly in your palm. Place a cold ganache ball in the centre, then wrap the dough around it completely, sealing it shut. Roll it gently into a ball, making sure the ganache is completely enclosed and sealed.

Place the stuffed cookie dough balls on the prepared trays and into the oven they go.

Now we bake

Bake for 15-16 minutes. The cookies will spread out just a bit. Don’t overbake them or the ganache will leak out and the cookies will be dry.

Let the cookies cool on the tray for about 5-10 minutes. They’ll firm up as they cool, but the centres should still be soft and melty.

Dust some extra matcha powder on top and a touch flaky salt - this just becomes so perfect.

These are best eaten warm, about 10 minutes out of the oven, of course. Break one open and watch the bright green matcha lava spill out. It’s just satisfying.

However, they are still delicious even with the solid ganache in the middle, you still get all the flavours, just in more similar texture. If you’re not eating them immediately, you can reheat them gently in the oven for about 3 minutes at 150°C to warm the ganache back up.

Let me know if you ever make them!