There’s this guy I’ve known nearly all my life. His name is Gilbert. To those who don’t know him well he may seem a little eccentric, and sometimes that doesn’t translate well to other people. Well that’s their grave misfortune I guess, because they will never get to know how awesome he is. For one thing the fun never ends with this guy. He is so game and adventurous that it rubs off on you. I know it does wonders for me, a girl who is always so serious. I feel really lucky to be friends with him. I can honestly say a great deal of my good memories involves him and my other bestie Marga. If you ever see a Chinese guy in ethnic costume walking the streets of Metro Manila, it’s probably him!
Gilbert is probably one of the most interesting people I will ever get to know in my life. It’s like all the different parts of his body belong to different nationalities, with his soul of course predominantly Indian. His love for culture in general, of any country mind you, is really inspiring. He knows so many languages it’s crazy. You see that photo below? During our whole trip to Bali he was in character as a Balinese, and because he could talk to the locals in their native language we were able to get around more easily. More on the Bali trip a little later– I promised him I’d get it up on the blog soon… ish– for now I want to talk about something a little different…
It’s his birthday today!
This is always my mindset when there are occasions like this: What’s the use of baking so much if you can’t even make anything for a dear friend’s birthday? But compared to what I previously gave Gilbert, this one I feel is a bit anti-climatic. There isn’t even any frosting! I’ve been chasing time these past few weeks but it was a personal requirement that I make something for one of my BFFs. Even if that something is less extravagant, it has to be no less delicious. Let’s not lose sight of the important bit. (Seriously hope he liked it!)
Anyway I chose this matcha number because I find it cute and chubby. It reminds me quite a bit of Gilbert actually, especially the chubby part! HAHAHA! The muffins are topped with dark cookies and filled with sunken cookie bits that add a touch of sweetness. The muffins would taste just straightforward matcha if it weren’t for the cookies, and while I wouldn’t mind that at all, I do prefer the hint of chocolate plus the sweetness added by the Oreos.
Even though the muffins tasted pretty good, I’m still a bit sad about how dense they came out. It might have been because I overmixed the batter, but I feel like the batter could have used perhaps a little bit more milk. I can’t vouch for accuracy, but I read somewhere that matcha powder can sometimes react against certain ingredients in such a way that it makes cakes denser than they usually would be without the matcha. Again I’m not sure how true this is, but so far the green tea cakes I have posted on the blog are a bit on the dense side. But they are yummy so it’s hard to complain.
Thankfully, Gilbert has assured me that the taste is a good hit of both matcha and Oreo; and even I who can be critical with myself with the things I bake would have to agree. The best part in these muffins is how I can taste the matcha so clearly, which is one of the most important things for me across any matcha-flavoured food or drink. Of course, the cookies complemented the matcha surprisingly well too.
If you do decide to try these green tea muffins out, there are two things I would warn you about: First, absolutely do not overwork the batter once you add in the flour. Second, I wouldn’t recommend refrigerating these so it’s best to eat them all up the day they are made. They taste good with milk or coffee. Lessens the denseness too!
Oreo & Green Tea Muffins
Makes 6 to 10 muffins, depending on size of mold
Ingredients
- 160 grams cake flour
- 6 grams matcha powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 60 grams sugar
- 50 grams butter, melted and cooled
- 50 to 60 milliliters milk*
- 4 Oreo cookies, roughly crushed
- 6 Oreo cookies, whole or halved, for garnish
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to (350°F) 180℃. Line the muffin tins with paper.
- 2. In a small bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
- 3. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a mixing bowl if using a whisk and a lot of muscle) place the egg and slowly add the sugar, mixing on high speed, until the mixture reaches the ribboning stage. This is when you lift your spatula or whisk and the dripping leaves a trail before disappearing back into the batter.
- 4. Using a spatula, pour in the butter and mix quickly until evenly distributed.
- 5. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix gently. Add the milk and the remaining dry ingredients, then add the crushed Oreos. Mix just until everything is incorporated, but do not overmix. A few streaks of flour in the batter is fine.
- 6. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin until about 3/4 of the way full. Garnish with the remaining Oreos as pleased, one per muffin is best.
- 7. Bake for 12 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into centre of muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and consume at room temperature. These muffins are best eaten the day they are made.
Notes
Happy happy birthday, Gilbert! I hope you continue to bring smiles and inspiration to the people you meet. To those who misunderstand you, I say to hell with them! You can run circles around them with the more-than-dozen languages you know. Always remember that Marga and I are super proud of you, and we love you no matter what. Cheers to our friendship! :-*
