Japanese Sweet Bean Cookies (Yaki Manju)
A Japanese-style red bean pastry with a soft, flaky crust and a sweet, glutinous bean filling. The shape can be customized to suit your preference.
Ingredients
unsalted butter (softened)
½ cup
sugar
1 cup
egg
1
egg white
2
light corn syrup
2 tbsp
all-purpose flour (or as needed)
3 cup
baking soda
1 tsp
salt
1/8 tsp
soy sauce (for coloring, optional)
6 drops
lima bean paste (see accompanying recipe)
2½ to 3 cup
Instructions
1
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.
2
Make the dough
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then add the egg whites. Beat until smooth and well combined. Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. Mix in 2 cups of the flour, baking soda, and salt. Knead by hand into a smooth dough. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour a little at a time, kneading until the dough releases from the bowl and is no longer sticky. Add the soy sauce and knead it into the dough for even coloring.
3
Shape and fill
Pinch off a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball about the size of a gumdrop (about 1 inch in diameter). Take a piece of 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. Place the bean paste ball in the center. Stretch the dough up around the bean paste ball and pinch to seal, completely enclosing the filling. Shape into balls, egg shapes, or sweet potato shapes with two pointed ends as desired. Repeat with the remaining dough and bean paste.
4
Make the glaze
In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, soy sauce, and condensed milk.
5
Bake
Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1.5 inches apart. Brush generously with the glaze. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until light golden.
6
Remove and cool
Gently remove the cookies with a spatula and let cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with the next batch until all the cookies are baked.
