Charcoal Matcha Lava French Toast

A striking twist on the classic French toast. This unique recipe incorporates activated charcoal and matcha to create a stunning contrast of colors, along with a burst of flavor. A deliciously easy dish to get your day started!

History of Matcha

Green tea can be traced back to ancient China! Tea leaves were initially in China for medicinal purposes, it was only later that it became became a beverage. The practice of grinding tea leaves into a fine powder was first done in Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE).

Matcha was later introduced to Japan in the 12th century. Japanese Buddhist monks brought back tea seeds and cultivation techniques from their travels to China. They started using matcha in tea ceremonies to promote mindfulness, concentration, and spiritual awareness.

Food Grade Activated Charcoal & it's Benefits

Food Grade Activated Charcoal can be found in a variety of foods and beverage. It is known to have adsorptive properties and potential health benefits. Based on my research, here are some of the benefits of food grade activated charcoal:

Detoxification

Gas and Bloating Relief

Hangover Remedy

Teeth Whitening

Water Filtration

Potential Cholesterol Management

My Inspiration Behind This Recipe

I originally wanted to make Hong Kong style french toast. Hong Kong style french toast is a unique french toast that is has peanut butter and is deep fried. Hong Kong french toast has become quite popular these days so I wanted to create something of my own, something I can't find while scrolling through social media.

Lately I've been obsessed with Matcha and it's health benefits. I love the slow release of energy it gives throughout the day and all the antioxidants it provides. I used the concept of a matcha latte to create this recipe. I spread condensed milk between my slices of bread instead of peanut butter. I also knew I wanted to keep the classic egg custard flavor to the french toast, so I made a matcha cream to pour over the toast instead. I really wanted this toast to pop, so I resorted to food-grade activated charcoal to give the dish a nice contrast. The presentation and flavor came out immaculate. French toast isn't meant to be health but at least this has some added benefits!

Ingredients We're Working With:

Chinese bakery white bread - a slightly sweet milk bread, that absorbs the egg custard just right

Condensed milk - glues the bread slices together and balances out the bitterness of thee matcha

Food Grade Active Charcoal - used as a a food additive or coloring agent.

Milk - creates a creamy and flavorful coating for the bread

Egg -  key ingredient in the custard-like mixture that coats the bread slices, giving it a richness

Granulated sugar - adds a touch of sweetness to the French toast

Matcha powder - adds a vibrant green color, earthy undertones, and slightly bitter taste.

Heavy whipping cream - creamy richness and buttery undertones that is the base of the matcha cream

Here are some of my favorite Matcha Powders:

My go too, budget friendly Matcha: FGO Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder

First Harvest Matcha: Jade Leaf Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha Green Tea Powder

Ippudo Matcha: Ippodo Tea - Sayaka Matcha (Kyoto Since 1717)

Commonly Asked Questions:

Does the Food-Grade Activated Charcoal have a taste?

No! To my surprise it had absolutely no flavor to it. All it brought to the dish was a beautiful black color the the French Toast and some potential health benefits.

Why does my heavy cream not thicken even though I'm whipping it for so long?

For this recipe we want a soft whip cream, one that is still slightly runny. You need to make sure your heavy whipping cream is chilled before use, to ensure that it can be whipped. An additional thing you can do is to chill the bowl you whip your cream in!

Prefer to Watch? Click Here: Charcoal Matcha Lava French Toast

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Charcoal Matcha Lava French Toast

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 1

Level: Easy

***Disclaimer: Commission is received from purchases made through linked products, but NO extra charge comes out of your pocket for it! This is just what allows me keep my blog running, because I truly do have a passion for sharing free homemade recipes for you guys to recreate at home.The products linked are in no way sponsored, and are just the ones I stand by and use in my recipes. Thank you for the support!

Ingredients:

• 3 pieces plain white bread ***I used Chinese bakery bread

• 4 tbsp condensed milk

• 1 tbsp Food Grade Active Charcoal

• 2 tbsp milk

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar, split in half

• 1 tbsp matcha powder (recommended matcha powder listed above!)

• 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
  

Directions:

1. Combine your charcoal, half your sugar, egg and milk into a medium flat bowl and set aside.

2. Layer 2 tbsp of condensed onto a slice of bread, stalk a bread on top and repeat. Layer another bread on to the second slice of bread and DO NOT add condensed milk to the top layer.

3. Oil or butter a medium pan and place on medium heat. While the pan is heating, coat your bread in the charcoal mixture, until nice and evenly coated.

4. Place your battered bread into your heated pan, cook on each side until nice and crispy (around 3-4 minutes on each side).

5. While your french toast cools, combine your matcha, other half of the sugar, and heavy cream in a small bowl. Whisk the mixture until slightly thickened.

6. With a spoon, carefully create a square indent in your french toast. Don't press too hard because you don't want to break the surface of your toast. Pour the match lava into the square indentation.

7. Dust with matcha powder and/or powder sugar. Eat and enjoy!

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Thank you!

I hope you enjoyed this post and give this recipe a try! If you have any feed back, please leave a message down below. I would be more than excited to read them or to answer any questions you have!

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