Hōjichai

Name: Hōjichai
Yield: Makes 2
Ingredients: 7 green cardamom pods; 5 star anise; 1 3" cinnamon stick; 1 tsp. pink peppercorns; ¾ cup (8 grams) hōjicha; Honey, sugar, or molasses (for serving); A mortar and pestle

By Julia Momose

December 1, 2020

Image may contain Lamp Glass Food Egg Drink Beverage and Jug

Photographs by Yudi Ela, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio

“I originally created this as a nonalcoholic pairing for a dessert course,” says Julia Momose, creative director, Kumiko, Chicago. “The roasted, earthy notes of the hōjicha (roasted green tea) carry the warming toasted baking spices for a comforting low-caffeine wintertime brew. Now I make this for my husband and myself at home all the time. I love it with shortbread cookies and coffee cake in the morning or with ice cream at night. My parents are back home in Japan and I sent my mom this recipe for a gathering they had last year. She made a big batch and kept it warm in the CrockPot for guests to serve themselves. There’s no situation where this wouldn’t be good.” Momose likes to buy her hōjicha from kettl.co and rareteacellar.com.

Recipe notes

Chickpeas With 40 Garlic Cloves

Braising canned chickpeas in chicken stock and olive oil makes them unbelievably tender and buttery. This is worth the effort of peeling 40 cloves of garlic.

Greenest Mint and Ginger Pesto

An electrifying pesto that stays bright green for days on end. With the addition of ginger, and jalapeño, it’s a versatile condiment to have on hand.

Baan Mae’s Thom Khem Thaohu

Slowly caramelized sugar, sweet lychees, warming spices, and fiery ginger create the perfect base for tofu to simmer in.

Coffee Cake Scones

Sour cream scones get treated to a cinnamon-sugar swirl and crunchy streusel crown.

Now-and-Later Roast Chickens

An easy technique that results in juicy, tender roast chicken. Cooking two chickens at once is the secret to easy meals throughout the week.

Tiramisu Basque Cheesecake

Two of our all-time favorite desserts, now in one new classic.

Quick Butter-Braised Tomatoes and Dumplings

Store-bought dumplings, fresh tomatoes, butter, and soy sauce simmer away for dinner in a flash.

Double-Chocolate Flourless Brownies

Nutty and deeply chocolatey, these brownies just so happen to be gluten-free.