Desserts

3 recipes

Dorayaki

A batter very similar to American pancake batter but enriched with honey (for the gold colour and slightly chewy texture) and mirin (for fragrance). Eggs whisk with sugar to ribbon stage; honey, milk and mirin whisk in; flour and baking powder fold through; rests at least 1 hour (essential for the right texture, a fresh batter gives pale, less-domed pancakes). Cooked one at a time on a low-medium dry pan to give the characteristic dome-shaped, golden-brown, smooth surface. Cooled briefly. Each finished disc gets a generous spoon of anko (sweet red bean paste) in the centre; a second disc presses on top, edges gently sealed. The shape is meant to be a slightly-flattened sphere with a clean disc-edge.

1 hour 35 minutes Serves6

Kasutera

Eggs whisk with sugar over a warm-water bath to ribbon stage, pale, thick, and tripled in volume. This is the most important step and what gives kasutera its fine crumb without baking powder. Honey-and-water-and-mirin warm together; whisk into the eggs. Bread flour (the higher protein gives the right slightly-chewy texture) sifts in and folds gently, no over-mixing. Poured into a tall narrow loaf tin lined with baking paper; a tray of hot water sits below in the oven for moist heat. Baked for 50 minutes at 160°C. As soon as it's out of the oven, the cake is dropped from a height (a small ritual that prevents collapse) and turned upside down onto cling film, wrapped tightly while still warm, and rested overnight. The next day, sliced into rectangles.

1 hour 15 minutes Serves8

Matcha Mochi

A mochi dough is made from glutinous rice flour (mochiko / shiratamako), water, sugar and matcha powder, microwaved or steamed until thick and elastic. While still hot, the mochi tips onto a surface dusted with potato starch (katakuriko) + matcha powder to prevent sticking; quickly worked into a thick log. Sweet red bean paste is rolled into 12 small balls and chilled. The mochi log divides into 12 pieces; each piece flattens in a heavily-starched palm; a bean-paste ball sits in the centre; the mochi folds up around to enclose; pinched at the bottom. The smooth side becomes the top. Dusted with extra matcha-and-starch mixture; eaten within a day at room temperature.

1 hour 20 minutes Serves6