Japanese Sweet Bean Cookies (Yaki Manju)
A delightful Japanese-style sweet bean pastry featuring a soft, tender crust and a sweet, glutinous red bean filling that can be shaped to your liking.
Story
Yaki Manju are delightful Japanese-inspired sweet bean cookies that offer a wonderful textural contrast between a tender, softly baked crust and a sweet, comforting red bean filling. Highly customizable in shape, these traditional treats are a joy to prepare and make for a perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea or a comforting everyday dessert.
Ingredients
unsalted butter (softened)
½ cup (1 stick)
sugar
1 cup
egg
1 piece
egg whites
2 pieces
light corn syrup
2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour (or add as needed)
3 cups
baking soda
1 teaspoon
salt
1/8 teaspoon
soy sauce (for coloring (optional))
6 drops
Lima Bean Paste (see subsequent recipe)
2½ to 3 cups
Instructions
1
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease two baking pans.
2
Making the Dough
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then add the egg white. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Add the corn syrup and stir until evenly mixed. Mix in 2 cups of flour, baking soda, and salt. Knead by hand into a smooth dough. Sprinkle in the remaining 1 cup of flour in small batches, kneading until the dough easily pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky. Add the soy sauce and knead it into the dough until it is evenly colored.
3
Wrapping and Shaping
Pinch off a small piece of dough and roll it into a gum-sized ball (about 1 inch in diameter). Take a piece of red bean paste and roll it into a ball of the same size. Flatten the dough ball between your palms and cup it in your hand to form a bowl shape. Place the red bean paste ball in the center. Stretch the dough to wrap around the red bean paste ball, pinch tightly to seal the opening, and completely enclose the filling. Shape it into a sphere, an egg shape, or a sweet potato shape with two pointed ends, as desired. Repeat with the remaining dough and red bean paste.
4
Making the Glaze
In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolk, soy sauce, and condensed milk.
5
Baking
Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1.5 inches apart. Generously brush with a thick layer of the glaze. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden.
6
Removing and Cooling
Gently remove the cookies with a spatula and cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with the next batch until all cookies are baked.
