Google drive: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ACxE793cgP9HIT4YN9abupORzwi6IoCbBhMr3R3-6aU/edit?usp=sharing
- Pan shapes
- Yukihira pans are what I had always encountered when doing stuff in Japan. They have a great shape: flat bottom with a rounded rim to keep things from sticking. Lightweight and decent at even heating usually.
- The closest I’ve found that is readily available here is a saucier. Very similar shape to a yuhikira.
- I have a disk-clad saucier, and that causes the edges to burn. Really bad honestly.
- All-clad saucier is much better. Amazon has a 3-ply 1.6 quart saucier for $30 that’s highly rated.
- Flat bottom saucepans are not my favorite unless you’re making a lot.
Printout
This sweet is best eaten same-day. Do not refrigerate.
Refrigerating kuzu makes it cloudy. The sweet will keep at room temperature for a few days, but after 24 hours, the sweet is prone to cracking and getting liquid-y.
Ingredients
Makes twelve 40g sweets.
For the kuzu exterior:
- 50g kuzu
- 125g sugar
- 250g water
For the naka-an:
- 20g shiro-an per sweet
- Pink food coloring
Equipment needed:
- Steamer basket
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- Rubber bands
- Spray bottle
Recipe
Preparation
- Shiro-an:
- Dry shiro-an until you can touch it without it sticking.
- Microwave for 30-45 second increments at a time.
- Mix well, then repeat until dry.
- Add color to the shiro-an, then roll into 20g balls. Set aside.
- Dry shiro-an until you can touch it without it sticking.
- Equipment:
- Line a steamer basket with parchment paper.
- Fill a large bowl with cold water.
- Prepare 12 squares of plastic wrap.
- Fill spray bottle with water.
Tips and tricks
- Prefer drier shiro-an over wetter shiro-an. The anko will get wet when you shape the kuzu, which can result in a waterlogged sweet if the anko starts too dry.
- A little food coloring goes a long way. Pale kuzu sweets look beautiful.
Cooking the kuzu
- Combine the water, kuzu, and sugar into a saucepan.
- Strain the kuzu into the water to avoid lumps.
- Cook over medium heat until the kuzu begins to gel. Stir constantly.
- Once 70% of the kuzu has started to gel, lower the heat to medium-low and continue stirring until mixture is translucent.
- Gather the kuzu together in the pan and remove from heat.
Tips and tricks
- If coloring the kuzu itself, do so before putting on heat. Use less food coloring than you think you need; the color intensifies as it cooks.
- Overcooked kuzu is better than undercooked kuzu. If it is still milky white, not translucent, then it will be difficult to shape. It also will not turn glassy in the steamer.
Shaping
Work fast!
- Evenly spray a square of plastic wrap with water.
- Place 20g of kuzu onto the plastic wrap, then flatten into a circle.
- Use the wet plastic wrap to help flatten.
- Wrap kuzu around a ball of anko, using the plastic wrap to help shape.
- Twist the plastic wrap around the ball, then tie off with a rubber band.
- Place the wrapped ball in a cold water bath.
Tips and tricks
- If the kuzu has cooled too much and solidified, it can be reheated on the stove until malleable.
- After initially forming the kuzu, unwrap it then rewrap it to avoid kuzu getting trapped in the folds of the plastic wrap.
- Wrap the kuzu gently. If you twist very tightly, it will form deep canyons in the sweet rather than soft folds.
Steaming
- After kuzu has been in the cold water bath for at least 5 minutes, remove from plastic wrap and place on parchment paper in the steamer.
- Steam on high heat for 5-10m.
- Check after 5m. Leave for longer as needed.
- Spritz with water after done steaming, then let the kuzu cool to room temperature.
- Serve sweet using an ice bath for cooling.
- Prepare an ice bath, and place a metal tray on the bath.
- Place kuzu sweets onto the metal tray, then wait until cool.
Tips and tricks
- Don’t oversteam the kuzu, otherwise it can crack.
Tips and Tricks
- If you are coloring your kuzu, use less dye than you think you need. The color will intensify as it is cooked and goes through the steamer.
- Once you have started forming the kuzu, avoid stirring the mixture. Kuzu solidifies as it cools, and air mixed in at this point will stay trapped, leaving bubbles in the final sweet.
- Work fast! As kuzu cools, it begins to tear instead of stretch, which keeps you from getting a smooth, glassy surface.
- If the kuzu has already cooled too much, reheat the mixture on the stove for a minute or two.
- Be careful about over-steaming! Kuzu is prone to cracking if it’s overcooked.
- Less is more. It’s not easy to do, but the thinner the kuzu, the glassier it looks.
- Make sure that your kuzu is sufficiently cooked before starting forming. If it is undercooked by the time it goes in the steamer (i.e. it still looks milky rather than translucent), the steamer will not be able to cook it well enough to turn the sweet glassy.
- Be careful not to get the anko too wet when forming the sweet. It’s easy
new
- Don’t overtighten the kuzu when wrapping. Wrap gently, otherwise you get deep canyons in the sweet.
- Unwrap it, then rewrap to avoid that.
- Err on the side of overcooking rather than undercooking the kuzu. Undercooked kuzu cannot be salvaged.
- Mixture should look translucent, not milky.
idea
- walk through the steps of how much to cook the mixture
- just starting to clump, wait until 70% then bring the heat down a bit
- milky: it’s still not cooked enough. It will not hold its shape, and it will stay opaque after steaming.
- somewhat translucent: this is my favorite spot to stop for hand-formed kuzu manju. a little softer to work with, but doesn’t get as glassy.
- fully translucent: this will produce the glassiest sweet, but it will set the fastest. gotta work very quickly.
- changes:
- move the mixture to slightly less cooked in the pot
- ripping high heat, 5-8m. check after 5m, see how it’s going
Things to bring
- Tupperware for your sweets
Things to prep
- Two tables
- changes:
- move the mixture to slightly less cooked in the pot
- ripping high heat, 5-8m. check after 5m, see how it’s going
Things to bring
- Tupperware for your sweets
- Hand towel
- Pen
- Clothes
Things to prep
- Two tables
- Tablecloth
- Plastic wrap
- Rubber bands
- Trivet for pans on table
- Two spray bottles
- parchment paper for steamers
- Soap in sink
- Printed recipe
- Spare anko for drying demo
- Spare anko for making demo