Happy Halloween from all of us at Aiya! In honor of this spooky holiday, we’ve created a Halloween recipe that is delicious, simple, and fun for all ages: Matcha Cheesecake Slime Monsters! With a rich, Matcha cheesecake center and a soft outside shell, these little monsters are sure to be everyone’s favorite! The best part? You don’t even need an oven. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Makes 16-20 Slime Monsters

Ingredients:

• 7 oz graham crackers
• 3 oz graham crackers (for coating the cheesecake balls)
• 5.5 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp Aiya Cooking Grade Matcha
• 1 oz sour cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp hot water
• 1 Tbsp gelatin
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Coating

• 1 tray of CandiQuik (you can use white chocolate, if you prefer)
• 3 tsp Aiya Cooking Grade Matcha
• Black Frosting

Directions:

1. Crush the 7oz graham crackers into fine crumbs by putting them in a large Ziploc bag and rolling them out with a rolling pin (you can also use a food processor if preferred). Set aside.
2. Sift the Matcha into a bowl and add some room temperature water (appx 1 Tbsp), then mix well until it becomes a smooth paste with no lumps. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese until smooth, add the sugar, and mix until incorporated. Add the Matcha paste, sour cream, and lemon juice. Mix until smooth and well-blended.
4. Dissolve the gelatin in 3 Tbsp hot water until fully dissolved, and quickly mix into the cream cheese mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream using an electric hand mixer until it forms soft peaks. Fold into the cream cheese mixture.
6. Pour the 7oz crumbled graham crackers into the mixture and mix until incorporated.
7. Crush the 3oz graham crackers into fine crumbs using the same method as step 1. Pour out into a bowl and set aside.
8. Spoon the cheesecake mixture into the graham cracker crumbles from step 7 and roll until coated. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to allow the gelatin to set.
9. Once the cheesecake balls have set, melt the tray of CandiQuik. Microwave for 60 seconds, stir well, and microwave again for 15 seconds. Sift 3 tsp Matcha into the CandiQuik tray until well mixed.
10. Roll the balls in the CandiQuik mixture until coated, and place back on the cookie sheet.
11. Once the CandiQuik has dried, draw the eyes with black frosting.
12. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and enjoy!