Tag: sugar

Daifuku (Red Bean Mochi) Recipe

written 12/8/24, updated 12/8/24

What

Japanese dessert. It’s mochi (sweet glutinous rice flour), a chewy rice cake, wrapped around a filling, usually anko (sweet red bean paste). Can be filled with other ingredients like mung bean, fresh cut fruit, ice cream, or custard, and colored with powders (such as matcha powder), fresh fruit puree, or food coloring.

This recipe is made in the microwave for ease, but can also be steamed

*See Notes for more details

Ingredients

1 Cup Shiratamako or Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour (*See Notes)

¼ – ½ Cup Sugar (more or less as desired)

1 Cup Water

1 Cup Anko (sweet red bean paste, bought or made)

Katakuriko (potato starch or cornstarch as needed for dusting)

Supplies

Heat-proof bowl

Silicone Spatula

Silicone Whisk

Plastic Wrap/Microwave Cover

Parchment Paper

Baking Sheet/Tray

Time and Serving

Time: 5 minutes combine + 2 minutes microwave + 20 minutes shaping = 30 minutes

Serving: 8 pieces

Directions

  • Prepare your Anko filling
  • On a tray or baking sheet, do the same thing and set aside (this is where you’ll put the formed daifuku)
  • Whisk together Flour (1 Cup) and Sugar (¼ – ½ Cup, to your desire)
  • Add the Water (1 Cup) and combine with the silicone spatula until it forms a smooth batter
  • Cover with either plastic wrap or microwave lid
  • Microwave for about 1.5 minutes
  • Remove and stir well
  • Return to microwave for another 1.5 minutes
  • It should have formed a shiny, smooth dough, a somewhat hard lump, different from the batter from before
  • If not, then return for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between
  • Dust your parchment paper workspace with either potato starch or cornstarch
  • Scrape the dough out onto your workspace (Be careful, it’s going to be HOT)
  • Sprinkle starch as needed to make it less sticky
  • Divide the hot dough into equal portions
  • Roll them into flat disks
  • Put your Anko filling into the middle and pinch the ends to close them
  • Place it seam side down on your pre-dusted tray
  • Continue to make the rest
  • This is best enjoyed right away, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days

Notes

Clean-Up Tips

  • Soak your bowls and implements in water to help loosen it up
  • Try not to dump the wet flour down the drain if you don’t want to deal with a clog
  • If it’s being stubborn even after soaking, use the silicone spatula to scrape the wet dough into the trashcan

Katakuriko = potato starch

Mochi vs Dango

  • Dango: term for ball-shaped foods
  • While these days the lines have blurred between the two desserts’ ingredients, traditionally, the difference is that Mochi was made from steamed glutinous RICE (grain) and pounded in a pestle, while Dango was made from non-glutinous rice FLOUR, mixed with water, kneaded, then steamed or boiled.
  • Dango is made like boba, where the little balls are boiled

When made the same way (Flour, sugar, and boil little balls) tapioca starch (cassava) will make boba, while rice flour will make dango.

Mochiko vs Shiratamako

  • Both flours are similar to each other but differ in processing
  • Both can be used in other dishes like bakery goods and as thickening agents in savory dishes
Mochiko
  • Ground when rice is dry
  • Less working time until hardening
  • Sticky, chewy texture
  • Stronger flavor
  • Finely ground flour
Shiratamako
  • Ground when rice is wet, then dried
  • Stretchier, even when cool
  • Smoother texture, more delicate
  • Good for refined desserts
  • Coarse, granular textured flour

Air Fry Fruit Hand Pies

written 08/07/2023, updated 08/07/2023

What

Fruit-filled hand pies, air fried, and with vegan ingredients. Original recipe from Food Network Magazine. Air frying is faster than baking: 20 minutes vs 50 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups All-Purpose Flour (+ dusting)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp baking powder
1 stick (8 Tbsp) cold unsalted butter (small pieces)
2 Tbsp cold vegetable shortening
4-6 Tbsp Ice Water

Filling

*your choice of fruit

1 cup Blueberries
1 cup Raspberries
½ cup Strawberries (chopped)
¼ cup Granulated Sugar
¼ tsp ground cardamom
Kosher Salt (pinch)
1 Tbsp Water (+ 2-3 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice

Optional: Glaze (or equivalent), Coarse Sugar/Confectioner Sugar, Egg Wash/Olive Oil/Melted Vegan Butter, Ice Cream

Supplies: Parchment paper, rolling pin, plastic wrap, mixing bowl, spatula, brush, drip pan/foil, air fryer

Time

Prep 40 minutes + Set 2 hours + Air Fry ~20 minutes = Total 3 hours

Servings:

8 Servings

Directions

Prep

Dough
  • Whisk flour (2 cups), sugar (2 Tbsp), salt (optional ½ tsp), and baking powder (¼ tsp)
  • Add half of butter (4 Tbsp) and all of shortening (2 Tbsp)
  • Rub until shortening not detectable
  • Add rest of butter (4 Tbsp) and work until pea-sized butter pieces remain
  • Mix in ice water (4 Tbsp) with fork or hands
  • Gradually add more of ice water (1 Tbsp at a time) only until dough sticks when squeezed (it’s okay if it’s crumbly)
  • Turn onto plastic wrap
  • Shape into a disk
  • Refrigerate until firm (~2 hours)
Filling
  • Combine in saucepan: fruit (2½ -3 cups, chopped), sugar (¼ cup), ground cardamom* (¼ tsp), Kosher salt (pinch) and water (1 Tbsp)
  • Cook medium heat, stirring, until berries release juice and simmers
  • Continue cooking and stirring, until thickened (~10 min)
  • Whisk cornstarch and lime juice
  • Stir into saucepan
  • Cook until glossy (~30 sec)
  • Remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally

*if no cardamom available, can substitute. Best is 1:1 cinnamon and nutmeg. Other choices: ginger, cloves

Cooking

Crust
  • Divide dough into 8 pieces
  • Roll each into a ball
  • Flatten into ~6in rounds,
  • Dust with flour as needed
  • Spoon filling in, leaving an edge for crimping (about 2 dessert spoons each)
  • Fold in half, then fold in edges, and crimp
  • Refrigerate each while preparing the rest
Air Fry
  • Preheat air-fryer to 350F
  • Brush on egg wash/olive oil/melted butter to each pie
  • Cut slits in each for venting
  • Use air fryer basket and cook 15-20 minutes until golden brown
  • Remove
  • Let cool
  • Optional Glaze: Whisk confectioner’s sugar with 2-3 Tsp water until smooth, drizzle over pies OR use Apple Jelly, etc
  • Optional: Dust with coarse sugar
  • Optional: Serve with Ice Cream

ENJOY

Pictures

Rolled into Balls
WAAAY too much filling
Spooned
Nice looking one, even used a crimping tool
1st and 2nd attempts
Done and Cooling

Notes

  • I used peaches and blueberries, but would recommend either less blueberries, or just peaches by themselves. Blueberries too powerful
  • If I were to make again, I would do 2 half-batches of filling: one peach and one apple. Or whatever flavors, just 2 of them
  • If you put too much filling, then they will burst. LOL
  • Your choice on rolled thickness of dough
  • You don’t have to use shortening, but it will make dough more dense
  • I happened to use too much water and overworked the dough making it soft and harder to fold
  • I also cheated and placed in freezer for 30 minutes before placing in fridge
  • Then messed up by taking the dough out too early which meant it softened too much
  • The original recipe calls for salt in the dough portion… I decided that I don’t like it especially since baking powder is also salty. Will substitute either sugar or cut the salt altogether
  • Be careful not to over flour when applying filling