Matcha Bavarian Crème Christmas Cake

Directions

To Make the Cookies:

• Sift the flour.  In a bowl, beat the egg whites until they start to form soft peaks.  Begin adding the sugar in parts (about 1/2 to 1/3 at a time) until it is all incorporated and stiff peaks form with a nice sheen.

• Beat the egg yolks.  Add about 1/3 of the meringue to the beaten yolks and mix until well incorporated.  Gently fold the merignue-egg mixure back into the remaining 2/3 of meringue with a rubber spatula.

• Mix in the flour little by little until it is just incorporated.  Scoop into a 1/4" tip piping bag.  Spread a piece of parchment paper out over a baking sheet and pipe two 7" circles of batter onto it.  Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar and bake in a 400F oven for 12-15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely.

To Make the Matcha Bavarian Crème:

• Add the egg yolk and sugar to a bowl and beat together until it turns white.  Heat the milk until it is just about boiling.

• Stir the gelatin in the water and warm on the stove until fully dissolved.  Mix into the warmed milk.  Once fully dissolved, mix together with the beaten egg yolks.  Place the mixture in a bowl over ice water until it begins to take shape.

• Whip the heavy cream.  Stir in the matcha.  Add the whole thing to the mixture.

To Finish:

• Line a cake pan with parchment paper and place one of the cookies into the bottom of it.  Pour the matcha Bavarian crème on top.  Place the second cookie on top of the crème.  Put into the refrigerator and allow to harden.

• Decorate to your liking.  We recommend dusting the entire cake with some matcha and powdered sugar.  When serving pieces, serve with any fruits you prefer and garnish with some mint.