Chef Karin Lazarus, author of Sweet Mary Jane and mastermind behind Denver’s most beloved cannabis bakery, combines dark chocolate, matcha, and sweet adzuki for a mean, green, weed cupcake. Adzuki beans are a small red bean used in East Asian cuisine. When boiled with sugar or honey, they form a smooth red paste called anko that can be used in a variety of confections, like these cannabis cupcakes. The devilishly rich chocolate cupcakes are topped with a matcha green tea frosting that gets its vibrant, verdant color from the finely milled powder. It tastes both rich and earthy, with a lingering sweetness.
Lazarus also shares her recipe for cannabis-infused coconut oil, which she calls Coconut Bliss, to any replace coconut oil in any given recipe. The oil can also be consumed on its own and many patients medicate by taking a spoonful every day (the size of the spoon determines the dosage). The amount of bud used determines the level of THC in finished desserts. Lazarus provides three levels of dosing.
Kooky Adzuki Cupcakes
Ingredients
Coconut Bliss
1 tablespoon = about 18.75 mg THC
For 12 edibles, use about 12.5 mg THC each.
For 18 edibles, use about 8.3 mg THC each.
1 tablespoon = about 37.5 mg THC
For 12 edibles, use about 25 mg THC each.
For 18 edibles, use about 16.6 mg THC each.
1 tablespoon = about 75 mg THC
For 12 edibles, use about 50 mg THC each.
For 18 edibles, use about 33.3 mg THC each.
Excerpted from Sweet Mary Jane: 75 Delicious Cannabis-Infused High-End Desserts by Karin Lazarus by permission of Penguin Random House.
How to Make It
Prepare the adzuki bean truffles. Combine the adzuki paste and powdered sugar in a small bowl and mix gently using your hands. Form the mixture into 12 balls about 1 inch in diameter. Set them on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate or freeze while you are making the cupcakes.
Decarboxylate the cannabis. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Put the cannabis in a small, heat-proof baking dish and place in the oven. After 15 to 20 minutes, check the temperature of the cannabis with your digital temperature gun; once it has reached 250°F, let it bake for 30 minutes, checking the temperature frequently. (In addition to decarboxylating, you are removing any moisture left in the plant material.) If it goes over the correct temperature for too long, it will burn, the THC may convert into CBN, and you will lose potency. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. If not using immediately, store the cannabis in an airtight container in a dark place for up to 2 months.