In the suburb of Melbourne where I live, Japanese sweets are almost impossible to purchase. If I want to eat them, I have to make them. This type of steamed cake is called ‘Manjū’ in Japanese. I never knew that it is quite easy to make until I tried. Makes 8 to 10 Cakes Ingredients …
I tried to make Azuki flavoured Panna Cotta. I mixed Panna Cotta mixture with Tsubu-an (Sweet Azuki Paste). It was supposed to be a creamy burgundy coloured jelly, but the mixture set in such a pretty gradation of colour because Azuki Paste is heavy, especially the unbroken beans are heavy. Unfortunately it is hard to …
This treat of sweet Mochi mixed with Roasted Walnut is popular in Japan. It is often coated with ‘Kinako’ (Finely Ground Roasted Soy Beans). I love it very much, but I love ‘Tsubu-an’ (Sweet Azuki Paste) version, too. So, I made both today. This is not a traditional recipe, but it is certainly a quick …
This Japanese sweet is traditionally made with ‘Kuzuko’ (Kuzu Starch), which creates its unique soft & rubbery texture. However, real ‘Kuzuko’ is extremely difficult to find and it is expensive. Many ‘Kuzuko’ products are actually a blend of other starch. I have tried to recreate the texture of ‘Kuzuko’ using substitutes, and I concluded that …
This type of Soft Sweet Mochi is called ‘Gyūhi’ (求肥) in Japan. It is a form of traditional Japanese sweet. Mochi is rubbery rice cake made with Glutinous Rice Flour, and it naturally turns hard over time. ‘Gyūhi’ stays soft because a lot of Sugar is added. This is a most basic recipe to make …
By adding Matcha Powder to my ‘Basic Plain Cupcakes’ batter, you can make delicious Matcha flavoured cupcakes. Today I stuffed them with ‘Tsubu-an’ (Sweet Azuki Paste). Matcha and Azuki are a very popular combination. Butter and Azuki match very well, too. And Rum goes well with both Matcha and Azuki. Makes 12 Cupcakes Ingredients 12 …
On the other day, I was making Pound Cake. I decided to add ‘Tsubu-an’ (Sweet Azuki Paste) as I often add extra ingredients to it. For a flavour, I decided to add Rum instead of Vanilla. Then an accident happened! Because of my shaky hands, a lot more Rum than I meant to add had …
This food is called ‘Ohagi’ in Japan. There is an almost identical food called ‘Bota Mochi’. During the equinoctial weeks in Spring and Autumn, this food is traditionally prepared. It is basically a ball of slightly pounded glutenous rice covered with Sweet Azuki Paste. Kinako (finely ground Roasted Soy Beans) mixed with Sugar is another …
Today I was making ‘An Pan’, that is a Japanese sweet bread roll filled with Sweet Azuki (Red Bean) Paste. Suddenly my ‘laziness’ kicked in and I wanted to make something easier. So, instead of wrapping the Azuki paste with the dough, I rolled it, placed it in a loaf tin, and baked it. OMG!!! …
There is a popular fried dumpling filled with Sweet Azuki Paste and coated with Sesame Seeds. I tried to make something similar to it using Spring Roll Wrappers. This dessert is absolutely easy to make. Fried crunchy Sesame Seeds and Sweet Azuki Paste are delicious when combined. I like to use Black Sesame Seeds for …
Everyone’s favourite Japanese sweet ‘Strawberry Daifuku Mochi’ is not hard to make, but I wouldn’t say it is easy to make. When I saw rice paper desserts on the internet, a great idea came to me to use rice paper to make Daifuku Mochi. Soon I discovered many people were already doing it. The texture …
‘Daifuku Mochi’, or Daifuku, is a Japanese sweet consisting of a small round glutinous rice cake stuffed with sweet Azuki paste. There are many variations these days, and this ‘Strawberry Daifuku Mochi’ is probably the most popular one. I wouldn’t try to make it if I were in Japan. However, here in Melbourne where I …