Yaki Manju (Japanese Baked Pastry)
Yaki manju is a Japanese baked pastry consisting of a cookie like sweet crust encasing a red bean paste filling. Substitute the red bean for Okinawan sweet potato or other sweet stuffings.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted 28g
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup sugar 50g
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3/4 cup flour 90g
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup red bean paste 150g
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, milk, and half of the beaten egg. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until a dough is formed. Place in the fridge to firm while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Divide red bean paste into 6 portions of about 2 tablespoons each and roll each into a ball.
- Take the chilled dough out of the fridge and divide into 6 portions, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll each portion into a ball and flatten into a circle. Place a ball of red bean paste in the center of the circle and gently smooth the dough to completely encase it. Repeat for the remaining five pieces.
- Brush the manju with the remaining half of the beaten egg. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Leftovers can keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Feel free to use any red bean paste texture you like - smooth (koshian) or chunky (tsubuan).