What Is Pompompurin?

Pompompurin is a cute and cheerful golden retriever dog character, and it is one of Sanrio’s many kawaii (cute) characters. 

Pompompurin usually wears a brown beret and is known for its love of food, especially pudding. 

The name “Pompompurin” is a combination of “pom pom,” representing the dog’s fluffy ears, and “purin,” which means custard pudding in Japanese. Purin is very similar to flan or caramel pudding.

Purin (Japanese Custard Pudding) vs Flan

Japanese pudding and flan are both creamy, caramel-flavored desserts with a similar texture, but they have some differences in terms of ingredients and presentation.:

• Ingredients:
  • Purin typically consists of milk, sugar, eggs, and a caramel sauce. The custard base may have a higher ratio of milk to eggs compared to some Western flan recipes.
  • Flan typically includes ingredients like sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, and sugar. The caramel sauce is an integral part of flan as well.
• Texture and Flavor:
  • Both Japanese pudding and flan have a smooth and creamy texture due to the use of eggs and dairy. They are often chilled and served cold.
  • The flavor profile is rich and sweet, with the caramel sauce providing a slightly bitter and sweet contrast.
• Presentation:
  • While both desserts are often unmolded and served with caramel sauce on top, purin is commonly served in small, round containers, while flan may be prepared in larger molds.

Ingredients

For the Caramel Sauce (Saucepan Method) – for 4 ramekins

• ¼ cup granulated sugar, 60ｇ
• 2 tablespoons water, 30ml

For the Caramel Sauce (Microwave Method) – for 1 ramekin

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 12.5g
• 1 ½ teaspoons water, 7.5ml

For the Purin

• 2 eggs, large
• 1 egg yolk, large
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 65g
• 1 ¼ cups milk, 300ml
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 30ml
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Decoration

• ¼ cup Chocolate chips, 50g
• 4 Wilton Mini Daisy Royal Icing Decorations

How to make Pompompurin Pudding

For the Decoration

1. Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with simmering water (double boiler). Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
2. Add chocolate chips to the bowl.
3. Stir the chocolate gently and continuously as it melts. Be patient and avoid overheating.
4. Once the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove the bowl from the heat. The residual heat will continue melting the remaining chocolate. Stir until smooth.
5. Pour the melted chocolate into a piping bag and pipe Pompompurin’s beret hat, face, ears, and paws on a sheet of cellophane or wax paper. Let them harden on a flat surface.

For the Caramel Sauce (Saucepan Method)

1. In a saucepan, put sugar and melt it over low heat while gently shaking. When about 70% has melted, stir with a spatula or similar tool to completely dissolve it.
2. When bubbles start to form and change from fine bubbles to large bubbles, turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of water, mix, and once blended, add another tablespoon of water and mix. (If it solidifies, heat it gently again.) Once done, immediately pour it into a container and let it cool as it is.

For the Caramel Sauce (Microwave Method)

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of water, microwave it for 2 – 2:30 min at 600w. Add ½ teaspoon of water (caution: the sugar will splatter) and mix well. Repeat this for 3 more times for each cup

For the Purin (Japanese Custard Pudding)

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined
2. Strain the custard mixture with a fine mesh seaves twice or more until smooth
3. Pour the liquid into four ramekins evenly. Tightly cover each ramekin with sheets of aluminum foil.
4. Boil water in a wide and deep pan with a lid (I used a Cuisinart pan in 11-inch diameter and 2-inch deep). The amount of water should cover half of the height of the ramekins. 
5. Place the ramekins in the boiling water, cook for 7 minutes with the lid closed, and turn off the heat. Leave the cups in the pan for 7 minutes with the lid closed. When 7 minutes have passed, remove the ramekins from the pan and let them sit at a room temperature until they cool down enough to touch.

6. Rest the ramekins in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

To Decorate

1. Remove any water that accumulated on top of purin.
2. With a tweezer, place and arrange the chocolate decoration on the surface of the purin.
3. With a tweezer, place a Wilton Mini Daisy Royal Icing Decoration on each purin

If you like this Pompompurin pudding, you may also like:

• Blueberry Mousse Cake
• Oreo White Chocolate Balls – Minions
• Hello Kitty Cake Roll – A step by step recipe with a template

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Pompompurin Pudding – Japanese Custard Pudding

Pompompurin pudding is a Japanese pudding (purin) where silky-smooth custard meets a heavenly caramel embrace

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Pudding, Purin

Prep Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes minutes

Resting Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 Heat-proof bowl
• 1 Saucepan
• 1 Piping bag
• 1 sheet of cellophane or wax paper
• 1 Spatula
• 4 Ramekins 4-inches in diameter
• 1 Large bowl
• 1 Fine-mesh Sieve
• Aluminum foil
• 1 Wide & deep pan with lid (I used a Cuisinart pan in 11-inch diameter and 2-inch deep)
• 1 Tweezer

Ingredients

For the caramel sauce (Saucepan Method) – for 4 ramekins

• ¼ cup granulated sugar 60g
• 2 tablespoons water 30ml

For the caramel sauce (Microwave Method) – for 1 ramekin

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 12.5g
• 1½ teaspoon water 7.5ml

For the purin

• 2 eggs large
• 1 egg yolk large
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 65g
• 1¼ cups milk 300ml
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 30ml
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the decoration

• ¼ cup chocolate chips 50g
• 4 Wilton mini daisy royal icing decorations

Instructions

For the decoration

• Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with simmering water (double boiler). Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
• Add chocolate chips to the bowl.
• Stir the chocolate gently and continuously as it melts. Be patient and avoid overheating.
• Once the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove the bowl from the heat. The residual heat will continue melting the remaining chocolate. Stir until smooth.
• Pour the melted chocolate into a piping bag and pipe Pompompurin’s beret hat, face, ears, and paws on a sheet of cellophane or wax paper. Let them harden on a flat surface.

For the caramel sauce (Saucepan Method)

• In a saucepan, put sugar and melt it over low heat while gently shaking. When about 70% has melted, stir with a spatula or similar tool to completely dissolve it.
• When bubbles start to form and change from fine bubbles to large bubbles, turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of water, mix, and once blended, add another tablespoon of water and mix. (If it solidifies, heat it gently again.) Once done, immediately pour it into a container and let it cool as it is.

For the caramel sauce (Microwave Method)

• Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of water, microwave it for 2 – 2:30 min at 600w. Add ½ teaspoon of water (caution: the sugar will splatter) and mix well. Repeat this for 3 more times for each cup

For the purin (Japanese custard pudding)

• Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined
• Strain the custard mixture with a fine mesh seaves twice or more until smooth
• Pour the liquid into four ramekins evenly. Tightly cover each ramekin with sheets of aluminum foil.
• Boil water in a wide and deep pan with a lid (I used a Cuisinart pan in 11-inch diameter and 2-inch deep). The amount of water should cover half of the height of the ramekins. 
• Place the ramekins in the boiling water, cook for 7 minutes with the lid closed, and turn off the heat. Leave the cups in the pan for 7 minutes with the lid closed. When 7 minutes have passed, remove the ramekins from the pan and let them sit at a room temperature until they cool down enough to touch.
• Rest the ramekins in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

To decorate

• Remove any water that accumulated on top of purin.
• With a tweezer, place and arrange the chocolate decoration on the surface of the purin.
• With a tweezer, place a Wilton Mini Daisy Royal Icing Decoration on each purin

The post Pompompurin Pudding – Japanese Custard Pudding appeared first on Simply A Homebody.

This blueberry mochi has a soft and chewy mochi exterior and the mochi delicately wraps around a luscious burst of sweet, juicy blueberry jam and cream cheese filling 🙂

What mochi made of?

Mochi is primarily made from glutinous rice, commonly known as sweet rice, mochigome or mochiko. This type of rice is different from regular rice (such as long-grain or jasmine rice) because it has a high starch content, which gives mochi its distinctive chewy and slightly sticky texture.

What does mochi taste like?

Since mochi is made from glutinous rice, it has a subtle rice flavor. The rice flavor is delicate, and it is perfect to pair with sweetened red bean paste, ice cream, and even something savory like soy sauce.

Ingredients (Makes 4 mochi balls)

For the Blueberry Filling

• ⅓ cup frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 15g

For the mochi

• ½ cup Mochiko flour, 77g
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch, 16g
• 1 ½ tablespoons Granulated Sugar, 20g
• ½ cup Milk, 118ml
• Purple food coloring
• 1 ½ teaspoons Butter, 7g

For the whipped cream filling

• 2 oz Cream Cheese 57g
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream 120ml 
• ½ cup powdered Sugar 50g
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2.5ml

How to make blueberry mochi

For the Blueberry Filling

1. Mix blueberries and granulated sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Put plastic wrap lightly on the bowl, and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds at 500 watts.
2. Push the jam through a fine mesh sieve into a small container. Discard any remaining pulp and cool completely.

For the mochi

1. Add Mochiko flour, cornstarch, sugar, and milk in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Add a dash of purple food coloring and mix until the color is evenly distributed.
3. Sift the mochiko mixture with a strainer.
4. Put the mochiko mixture into a microwave-safe bowl and put plastic wrap over the bowl. Poke some holes in the plastic wrap and microwave it for 1.5 minutes at 1000 watts.
5. Once the mixture becomes sticky, add the butter and combine well. Set it aside.

For the Whipped Cream Filling

1. Beat the room-temperature cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until the cream cheese is smooth and free of lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
2. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.
3. Slowly drizzle in the heavy whipping cream and beat at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

1. Cut the mochi paste into 4 pieces. Stretch one of the pieces into a flat disk. 
2. Put the disk of mochi paste on top of a small bowl to create a little dip. In the dip, pour the blueberry filling and the whipped cream filling.
3. Gather the edge of the mochi paste and pinch the edges to close the opening. Repeat until all mochi paste is used up.

How long does mochi last?

Unfortunately, these mochi can easily dry up. They should be eaten the same day they are made.

If you like this blueberry mochi, you may also like:

• Mochi – Shaped in Hello Kitty and Pompompurin
• Shiba Inu Mitarashi Dango Recipe
• Matcha Roll Cake with Mochi

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Blueberry Mochi

If you’re a fan of mochi, get ready to experience the perfect fusion of flavors – Blueberry Mochi! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword blueberry, Mochi

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes minutes

Servings 4 pieces

Equipment

• 1 – 2 Large microwave-safe bowl
• 1 Fine-mesh Sieve
• 1 – 2 Spatula
• 1 Hand mixer/stand mixer

Ingredients

For the Blueberry Filling

• ⅓ cup frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 15g

For the Mochi

• ½ cup mochiko flour 77g
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 16g
• 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar 20g
• ½ cup milk 118ml
• 1 – 2 dashes purple food coloring
• 1½ teaspoons butter 7g

For the Whipped Cream Filling

• 2 ounce cream cheese 57g
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream 120ml
• ½ cup powdered sugar 50g
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2.5ml

Instructions

For the Blueberry Filling

• Mix blueberries and granulated sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Put plastic wrap lightly on the bowl, and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds at 500 watts.
• Push the jam through a fine mesh sieve into a small container. Discard any remaining pulp and cool completely.

For the Mochi

• Add Mochiko flour, cornstarch, sugar, and milk in a large bowl and mix well.
• Add a dash of purple food coloring and mix until the color is evenly distributed.
• Sift the mochiko mixture with a strainer.
• Put the mochiko mixture into a microwave-safe bowl and put plastic wrap over the bowl. Poke some holes in the plastic wrap and microwave it for 1 minute and 30 seconds at 1000 watts.
• Once the mixture becomes sticky, add the butter and combine well. Set it aside.

For the Whipped Cream Filling

• Beat the room-temperature cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until the cream cheese is smooth and free of lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.
• Slowly drizzle in the heavy whipping cream and beat at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

To assemble

• Cut the mochi paste into 4 pieces. Stretch one of the pieces into a flat disk. 
• Put the disk of mochi paste on top of a small bowl to create a little dip. In the dip, pour the blueberry filling and the whipped cream filling.
• Gather the edge of the mochi paste and pinch the edges to close the opening. Repeat until all mochi paste is used up.

The post Blueberry Mochi: A Burst of Flavor in Every Bite! appeared first on Simply A Homebody.

I love love love cheesecake! In the past, I have made New York cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, Oreo cheesecake, and more. Japanese soufflé cheesecake is a bit unique compared to other kinds of cheesecake but I definitely recommend it if you are a cheesecake lover like me.

Japanese Soufflé Cheesecake vs Regular Cheesecake

The most significant difference between these two types of cheesecake is the texture. Regular cheesecake is dense and made with more cream cheese. Japanese soufflé cheesecake is fluffy and light and it has a texture closer to soft sponge cake. Another big difference is regular cheesecake comes with crust on the bottom, but Japanese soufflé cheesecake is usually crustless.

How many calories does cheesecake have?

There are many types of cheesecake but they are commonly high in calories. For example, The Cheesecake Factory’s original cheesecake is 830kcal with 51 grams of sugar per serving. Junior’s Original New York Cheesecake is 460 kcal with 24 grams of sugar per serving. In comparison, with this recipe, you can enjoy Japanese soufflé cheesecake with only 111kcal per serving, 2 grams of sugar, and you can even get 8 grams of protein!

Ingredients for the Japanese soufflé cheesecake

• ⅔ cups Softened Cream Cheese, 150g
• 3 eggs, Separated into whites and yolks
• 1 5.3oz Non-Fat Greek Yogurt, 150g
• 3 tablespoons Granulated Monk Fruit Sweetener, 36g
• 1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour, 8g

Instructions

1.Place cake pan liners in the pan (I used a 9” x 5” loaf pan). Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and start heating up some water for the water bath.

2. In a large bowl, mix softened cream cheese and the non-fat Greek yogurt.

3. Add the egg yolks with the cream cheese mixture and combine well. Then add all-purpose flour to the cream cheese mixture then mix well. Set it aside.

4. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg white until it gets frothy, and add monk fruit sweetener. Keep beating the egg white until it forms a stiff peak.

5. Gently whisk in ⅓ of the egg whites to the cream cheese mixture until well incorporated in the batter. Then add the mixture back into the egg whites. Gently fold in egg whites with a silicone spatula making sure not to compromise the airiness of the beaten whites.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then place the pan in a slightly larger baking tray.

7. Fill the baking tray with boiling water, reaching about 1” up the side of the cake pan.

8. Place the tray in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 320ºF (160ºC) and bake for 70 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF (150ºC) and bake for another 10 minutes or a skewer inserted comes out clean.

9. Turn off the oven and leave the oven door slightly ajar for 15-20 minutes with the cake inside. Then remove the pan from the oven. *If you take the cake out immediately, the sudden temperature change could cause the cake to collapse.

10. Gently remove the cake from the pan to cool to room temperature.

11. Slice and enjoy it at room temperature or place it in the fridge for 3-4 hours to enjoy chilled.

If you like this Japanese soufflé cheesecake recipe, you may also like:

• Cottage Cheesecake Cups with Oreo
• Keto Lemon Bar
• Matcha Mille Crepe Cake – Low-Calorie Version

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Japanese soufflé Cheesecake – Low Calorie Version

Japanese soufflé cheesecake is fluffy, creamy, and melts in your mouth. This is a low-carb and low-calorie version and it only contains 2 grams of sugar 🙂

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Cheesecake, soufflé cheesecake

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Cooling/Chilling 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 111kcal

Equipment

• 1 Cake pan I used 9" x 5" loaf pan
• 2 Large bowls
• Cake pan liners
• 1 Silicone Spatula
• 1 Hand mixer/stand mixer
• 1 Whisk
• 1 Large baking tray for water bath

Ingredients

• ⅔ cups softened cream cheese 150g
• 3 large eggs separated into whites and yolks
• 1 5.3oz non-fat Greek yogurt 150g
• 3 tablespoons granulated monk fruit sweetener 36g
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 8g

Instructions

• Place cake pan liners in the pan (I used a 9” x 5” loaf pan). Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and start heating up some water for the water bath.
• In a large bowl, mix softened cream cheese and the non-fat Greek yogurt.
• Add the egg yolks with the cream cheese mixture and combine well. Then add all-purpose flour to the cream cheese mixture then mix well. Set it aside.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the egg white until it gets frothy, and add monk fruit sweetener. Keep beating the egg white until it forms a stiff peak.
• Gently whisk in ⅓ of the egg whites to the cream cheese mixture until well incorporated in the batter. Then add the mixture back into the egg whites. Gently fold in egg whites with a silicone spatula making sure not to compromise the airiness of the beaten whites.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then place the pan in a slightly larger baking tray.
• Fill the baking tray with boiling water, reaching about 1” up the side of the cake pan.
• Place the tray in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 320ºF (160ºC) and bake for 70 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF (150ºC) and bake for another 10 minutes or a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Turn off the oven and leave the oven door slightly ajar for 15-20 minutes with the cake inside. Then remove the pan from the oven. *If you take the cake out immediately, the sudden temperature change could cause the cake to collapse.
• Gently remove the cake from the pan to cool to room temperature.
• Slice and enjoy it at room temperature or place it in the fridge for 3-4 hours to enjoy chilled.

The post Japanese soufflé Cheesecake – Low Calorie Version appeared first on Simply A Homebody.

What is kohakutou?

Kohakutou is Japanese gummy candy. “Kohaku” means “amber” in Japanese. Kohakutou is made with sugar, water, and agar agar powder and dyed with food coloring to look like gems. They are crispy on the outside and mushy and gummy on the inside.

What is agar agar powder?

Agar agar powder is a jellylike substance that has been extracted from red algae, a type of seaweed ^[1]. It is also known as kanten in Japan and is commonly used in Japanese dessert recipes.

Ingredients for this kohakutou recipe

• 2 ½ teaspoons (6 grams) agar agar powder (telephone brand is the best brand to use)
• 7 ounces (207 ml) cool water
• 1 ⅔ cups (340 g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon (0.6 ml) candy flavoring of your choice (I used Pineapple Flavor)
• Gel food coloring (I used Wilton Gel Food Coloring) or liquid food coloring
• Coconut oil or vegetable oil for greasing

How to make kohakutou

1. Place cool water into a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Sprinkle agar agar powder over the cool water and let it absorb for 5 minutes.
3. Heat the agar mixture until it simmers and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly with a spatula.
4. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the liquid becomes clear.
5. Remove from the heat and mix in candy flavoring.
6. Lightly grease a heatproof glass dish with coconut oil or vegetable oil. Pour the mixture into the glass dish.
7. For gel food coloring, put some gel food coloring on a toothpick and run it through the mixture to make marbling. Repeat with one color or with multiple colors to your liking.  For liquid food coloring, put a few drops on top and swirl with a toothpick. You can blend fully or leave it marbled.

8. Place the container into the refrigerator for 2-3 hours until set.

9. Remove the set jelly from the container and cut into crystal shapes using a sharp knife.

10. Place the crystal jellies onto a parchment covered cookie sheet and loosely cover the jellies with plastic wrap to avoid dusts. Let them dry at room temperature for 2-3 days until a hard crust forms on the outside.

(Optional) You can also put the jelly into some silicone molds. Here are teddy bear shaped kohakutou and pineapple shaped kohakutou I made 🙂

How to make kohakutou dry faster

Here are some tips to make kohakutou dry faster:

• Make sure there is space between the pieces to allow air to circulate around them.
• You may need to flip the pieces occasionally to ensure even drying. Kohakutou can take several days to dry completely, depending on the humidity in your environment.
• Some people had success using a food dehydrator to dry kohakutou faster – leaving them in the food hydrator at the lowest setting overnight. ^[2]

If you like this kohakutou recipe, you may also like:

• Annin Tofu (Almond Tofu) – Easy Recipe
• Fourth of July JELL-O Cups
• Matcha Panna Cotta

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Kohakutou

Kohakutou (Japanese gummy candy) is not only beautiful but it is delicious. Pick your favorite candy flavors and follow this easy kohakutou recipe today!

Course Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Kohakutou

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes minutes

Drying Time 3 days days

Total Time 3 days days 51 minutes minutes

Servings 50 crystals

Equipment

• 1 medium saucepan
• 1 Spatula
• 1 heat-proof glass dish (I used 9"x9")
• 1-4 Toothpicks (depending on how many colors to marble)
• 1 sharp knife
• Parchment paper
• 1 cookie sheet (I used 16" x 12")
• Silicone molds of your choice (Optional)

Ingredients

• 2 ½ teaspoons agar agar powder 6g, telephone brand is the best brand
• 7 ounces cool water 207ml
• 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar 340g
• ⅛ teaspoon candy flavoring of your choice 0.6ml, I used pineapple flavor
• gel food coloring or liquid food coloring of your choice
• coconut oil or vegetable oil for greasing

Instructions

Kohakutou

• Place cool water into a medium-sized saucepan.
• Sprinkle agar agar powder over the cool water and let it absorb for 5 minutes.
• Heat the agar mixture until it simmers and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly with a spatula.
• Sprinkle in the sugar and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the liquid becomes clear.
• Remove from the heat and mix in candy flavoring.
• Lightly grease a heatproof glass dish with coconut oil or vegetable oil. Pour the mixture into the glass dish.
• For gel food coloring, put some gel food coloring on a toothpick and run it through the mixture to make marbling. Repeat with one color or with multiple colors to your liking.  For liquid food coloring, put a few drops on top and swirl with a toothpick. You can blend fully or leave it marbled.
• Place the container into the refrigerator for 2-3 hours until set.
• Remove the set jelly from the container and cut into crystal shapes using a sharp knife.
• Place the crystal jellies onto a parchment covered cookie sheet and loosely cover the jellies with plastic wrap to avoid dusts. Let them dry at room temperature for 2-3 days until a hard crust forms on the outside. Enjoy!

The post Kohakutou Recipe appeared first on Simply A Homebody.

What is a melon pan?

Melon pan is a Japanese sweet bread that has thin cookie crusts on the outside and a soft and fluffy bun inside. It is called “melon pan” because it resembles the appearance of melon or cantaloupe that is popular in Japan. “Pan” simply means “bread” in Japanese.

What does melon pan taste like?

Even though it is called a “melon pan,” a traditional melon pan does not contain any melon flavor. If anyone has tried the Mexican sweet bread, conchas, melon pan tastes very similar to them. They are gently sweet without any fillings.

What is special about this melon pan?

With my version, I turned the traditional melon pan into something more fun! I arranged the recipe and technique developed by a Japanese food artist, Eriko Hanada (@elly.hana), and shaped the cookies to Hello Kitty.

I used this Hello Kitty cookie cutter and these cookie cutters for stars and hearts.

Ingredients

For the cookie

• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• milk
• all-purpose flour
• pink food coloring
• golden yellow food coloring

For the bread

• bread flour
• soft unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• Kosher salt
• milk
• active dry yeast
• warm water

For the decoration

• granulated sugar for sprinkling
• chocolate chips to draw Hello Kitty’s eyes

Instructions

For the cookie

1. In a large bowl, mix softened butter, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and milk with a spatula. You may not need all milk if making this in warm environment.
2. Once the dough becomes a ball, divide it into three. Leave one of the portions as-is for white dough. Add a dash of golden yellow food coloring to one of the dough balls and mix until well combined. Add a dash of pink food coloring to the other dough ball and mix until well combined.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about ⅛ inch thickness in between two sheets of plastic wrap. Chill the dough sheets in a refrigerator for at least 10-15 minutes.

4. Using cookie cutters, cut out the dough into shapes. I cut out the plain dough with a Hello Kitty cookie cutter, then cut the yellow dough into star shapes and the pink dough into heart shapes. Don’t forget to attach noses with tiny amounts of yellow cookie dough and bows with the pink cookie dough on Hello Kitty faces.

5. Once all the cookie doughs are shaped, place them in between two sheets of plastic wrap and rest them for at least an hour. You can even make these cookies a day ahead and chill them overnight.

For the bread

1. In a small bowl, add warm water and active dry yeast and mix. Set it aside for the yeast to bloom for 10 minutes or until creamy foam shows up on the surface. (This step is not necessary if using instant yeast. It can be added directly to the dry ingredients.)
2. In a large bowl, mix bread flour, granulated sugar, and salt.
3. Add the yeast mixture, softened butter, and milk to the dry ingredients and mix. 
4. Transfer the dough to the lightly floured work surface. Next, using your hand, knead by pushing the dough down and forward then folding the dough over itself. Repeat until it becomes smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes.
5. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, and leave it at a warm place (about 90ºF/32ºC) for 1 hour.
6. Make a fist with your hand and push the dough gently and firmly into the center and deflate it. 
7. Turn the dough onto a work surface. Divide the dough into 3 (about 96g each). Roll each dough into small buns. Place each of them onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap loosely, let them rise for 30-40 minutes in a warm place.

For the assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 320ºF/160ºC.
2. Brush on some water on top of the buns.
3. Take out the cookies from the refrigerator and start pasting the cookies on the buns.

4. Once all the cookies are pasted, put plastic wrap over the buns and gently press them with your hands to make sure all the cookies are stuck well. Then remove the plastic wrap.

5. Sprinkle the buns with some granulated sugar. If granulated sugar is not sticking, brush the buns with some water.

6. Bake for about 20-25 mins or until the surface gets dry and has a subtle brown color. Once baked, let the buns cool completely. 

7. When the melon pans are cooled, melt chocolate chips in a microwave. Zap them for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat this process until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

8. Place the melted chocolate in a piping bag. Snip off the tips to have an about ¼-inch diameter hole.

9. Fill Hello Kitty’s eyes and whiskers with the melted chocolate and enjoy! Tip: If the chocolate hardens back before you could finish decorating, boil some hot water and place it in a heat-resistant cup. Once the cup gets hot, press the piping bag against it and melt the chocolate until it becomes workable again.

For the leftover cookies

1. Preheat oven to 320ºF/160ºC.
2. Bake them for 5-10 minutes or until the surface looks dry. *The baking time varies depending on the size of the cookies.

If you like this Hello Kitty Melon Pan, you may also like:

• Hello Kitty Cookies – Simple Recipes
• Hello Kitty Cake Roll – A step by step recipe with a template
• How To Make Rilakkuma Pull-Apart Bread

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Melon Pan – Hello Kitty Version

Melon pan is a popular Japanese sweet bread. Traditional melon pans have cantaloupe-like appearances, but my version is decorated with cute Hello Kitty cookies. Try this fun baking project today!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Bread, melon pan

Prep Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Resting Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 3 buns

Equipment

• Large bowl
• Spatula
• Rolling Pin
• Plastic wrap
• Cookie cutters
• Small bowl
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Piping bag

Ingredients

For the cookie dough

• 3½ tablespoons unsalted butter 50g
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 30g
• 2 teaspoons milk 10ml
• ½ cups all-purpose flour 80g
• pink food coloring
• golden yellow food coloring

For the bread

• 1 cup bread flour 160g
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 40g, soft but not melted
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 12g
• 3 tablespoons milk 45ml
• ½ teaspoons kosher salt 3g
• ½ teaspoons active dry yeast 2g
• ¼ cups warm water 55ml

For the decoration

• some granulated sugar for sprinkling
• ½ cups chocolate chips to draw Hello Kitty’s eyes

Instructions

For the cookie

• In a large bowl, mix softened butter, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and milk with a spatula. You may not need all milk if making this in warm environment.
• Once the dough becomes a ball, divide it into three. Leave one of the portions as-is for white dough. Add a dash of golden yellow food coloring to one of the dough balls and mix until well combined. Add a dash of pink food coloring to the other dough ball and mix until well combined.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about ⅛ inch thickness in between two sheets of plastic wrap. Chill the dough sheets in a refrigerator for at least 10-15 minutes.
• Using cookie cutters, cut out the dough into shapes. I cut out the plain dough with a Hello Kitty cookie cutter, then cut the yellow dough into star shapes and the pink dough into heart shapes. Don’t forget to attach noses with tiny amounts of yellow cookie dough and bows with the pink cookie dough on Hello Kitty faces.
• Once all the cookie doughs are shaped, place them in between two sheets of plastic wrap and rest them for at least an hour. You can even make these cookies a day ahead and chill them overnight.

For the bread

• In a small bowl, add warm water and active dry yeast and mix. Set it aside for the yeast to bloom for 10 minutes or until creamy foam shows up on the surface. (This step is not necessary if using instant yeast. It can be added directly to the dry ingredients.)
• In a large bowl, mix bread flour, granulated sugar, and salt.
• Add the yeast mixture, softened butter, and milk to the dry ingredients and mix. 
• Transfer the dough to the lightly floured work surface. Next, using your hand, knead by pushing the dough down and forward then folding the dough over itself. Repeat until it becomes smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes.
• Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, and leave it at a warm place (about 90ºF/32ºC) for 1 hour.
• Make a fist with your hand and push the dough gently and firmly into the center and deflate it. 
• Turn the dough onto a work surface. Divide the dough into 3 (about 96g each). Roll each dough into small buns. Place each of them onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap loosely, let them rise for 30-40 minutes in a warm place.

For the assembly

• Preheat the oven to 320ºF/160ºC.
• Brush on some water on top of the buns.
• Take out the cookies from the refrigerator and start pasting the cookies on the buns.
• Once all the cookies are pasted, put plastic wrap over the buns and gently press them with your hands to make sure all the cookies are stuck well. Then remove the plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle the buns with some granulated sugar. If granulated sugar is not sticking, brush the buns with some water.
• Bake for about 20-25 mins or until the surface gets dry and has a subtle brown color. Once baked, let the buns cool completely. 
• When the melon pans are cooled, melt chocolate chips in a microwave. Zap them for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat this process until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Place the melted chocolate in a piping bag. Snip off the tips to have an about ¼-inch diameter hole.
• Fill Hello Kitty’s eyes and whiskers with the melted chocolate and enjoy!

  Tip: If the chocolate hardens back before you could finish decorating, boil some hot water and place it in a heat-resistant cup. Once the cup gets hot, press the piping bag against it and melt the chocolate until it becomes workable again.

The post Melon Pan – Hello Kitty Version appeared first on Simply A Homebody.

What is mushi pan?

Mushi pan is a Japanese steamed cake. “Mushi” literally means “steamed” in Japanese, and as the word describes, the cake is steamed instead of baked.  “Pan” means “bread” in Japanese, but the texture is closer to spongy cake than bread.

What does mushi pan taste like?

A plain mushi pan is subtly sweet, and it is much less sweet compared to common Western cakes. You also have the freedom to customize the flavors by adding cocoa powder, matcha, and corn, etc.

What is special about this mushi pan?

For this recipe, I used honey to sweeten the mushi pan instead of sugar. Also, these cakes come with cute Winnie the Pooh faces 🙂

Ingredients List

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Honey
• Egg
• Milk
• Neutral-flavored oil (vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.)
• Black food coloring
• Golden yellow food coloring

Instruction

Preheat the oven to 340F (170C). Place 8 cupcake liners in a muffin tin.

Mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, honey, and oil.

Next, add dry ingredients to the honey mixture and mix until combined.

Then, scoop 1 tablespoon of batter out to a small cup and add black food coloring, and mix well. Set aside.

Add golden yellow food coloring to the main cake batter and mix well.

Pour the yellow cake batter into the muffin tin (divide the batter into 8). Tap the muffin tin on a countertop to remove any air pockets. Pop any bubbles on the surface with a toothpick.

Put the black cake batter in a piping bag and snip a tiny corner off to create a hole about 2mm in diameter.

Draw Pooh’s face on each cake batter.

Place the muffin tin in a deep roasting tray and pour warm water around the muffin tin. Steam bake the cake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven.

Once all cakes are cooked through, cool them down on a rack.

Mushi pan can be enjoyed as is or additional honey on top if you prefer more sweetness 😉

If you like this Winnie the Pooh mushi pan, you may also like:

• Shiba Inu Mitarashi Dango Recipe
• Hello Kitty Cake Roll – A step by step recipe with a template
• How To Make Rilakkuma Pull-Apart Bread

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Winnie the Pooh Mushi Pan – Steamed Cake

Mushi pan is a soft Japanese cake that can be easily made with common ingredients found in a fridge and a pantry. In this recipe, I will show you how to make these cakes sweetened with honey and decorated with cute Winnie the Pooh faces.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword mushi pan

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cakes

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Small cup
• Cup cake tin
• Cup cake liners
• Piping bag

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 150g
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 4½ tablespoons honey
• 2 beaten eggs
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons natural-flavored oil (vegetable, canola oil, etc.)
• black food coloring
• golden yellow coloring

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 340F (170C). Place 8 cupcake liners in a muffin tin.
• Mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, honey, and oil.
• Next, add dry ingredients to the honey mixture and mix until combined.
• Then, scoop 1 tablespoon of batter out to a small cup and add black food coloring, and mix well. Set aside.
• Add golden yellow food coloring to the main cake batter and mix well.
• Pour the yellow cake batter into the muffin tin (divide the batter into 8). Tap the muffin tin on a countertop to remove any air pockets. Pop any bubbles on the surface with a toothpick.
• Put the black cake batter in a piping bag and snip a tiny corner off to create a hole about 2mm in diameter.
• Draw Pooh’s face on each cake batter.
• Place the muffin tin in a deep roasting tray and pour warm water around the muffin tin. Steam bake the cake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven.
• Once all cakes are cooked through, cool them down on a rack.
• Mushi pan can be enjoyed as is or additional honey on top if you prefer more sweetness

The post Winnie the Pooh Mushi Pan – Steamed Cake appeared first on Simply A Homebody.

Dango is one of my favorite snacks, especially Mitarashi dango. I remember eating them at my grandmother’s house all the time as a child in Japan.

The process of shaping dango is kind of similar to playing with playdough. For this dango recipe, I decided to shape them into something cute like Shiba Inu. I purchased this rice ball mold on Amazon, and the process of shaping dango was so much easier.

Of course, using special tools is optional. You can make your own cute designs with your hands and a pair of scissors! Or you can always make traditional style – simply place three to five balls of dango on a skewer.

What is dango?

Dango is a Japanese rice dumpling and is often enjoyed with some types of toppings. It is similar to mochi, but the cooking process is different. Traditionally mochi is made from steamed rice, which is kneaded into a sticky rice cake. Dango is made from rice flour mixed with water, which gets kneaded into dough, then it needs to be cooked before serving.

What does dango taste like?

A plain dango itself tastes slightly sweet but has no strong flavor. Dango has a nice chewy, mochi-like texture, and flavor can be customized by toppings. Traditionally, Japanese people like to add soy sauce glaze, red bean paste, and roasted soybean powder on top of dango. For this recipe, I made Mitarashi Dango, which is dango with sweet soy sauce glaze.

Ingredients for this Mitarashi Dango recipe

For dango

• Joshinko
• Shiratamako
• Silken tofu
• Sugar

For glaze

• Soy sauce
• Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine) – Often available in Asian cuisine aisles in supermarkets or online
• Corn starch
• Sugar
• Water

For decoration

• Some seaweed (Nori) sheets

What is Joshinko and Shiratamako?

Both of them are types of rice flour but are made with different kinds of Japanese short-grain rice. Joshinko gives firmer and bouncier textures and Shiratamako gives soft, chewy, and smooth texture to dango. 

Both are available in Japanese / Asian supermarkets or online.

If Shiratamako is not available, it’s ok to substitute with Mochiko.

Instruction

For dango

In a large bowl, mix Shiratamako, Joshinko, sugar, and silken tofu. Knead by hand until the dango dough becomes smooth and shapes into a ball. (If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add 1 teaspoon of warm water at a time and keep kneading.)

Start boiling a large pot of water on low heat.

Divide the dango dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll five of them into balls. Each ball should be about 1.5 inches in diameter.

As for the rest of the five pieces, fit each dango dough into a Shiba Inu shape with the rice ball mold then gently push the dough out starting from the edges to keep the shape when removing from the mold. Or make any other shapes you like.

If you are going for dango on skewer style, roll the dough into 1 inch in diameter. There will be more than 10 dango balls at the end.

Boil the dango doughs in boiling water. Stir them occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the dango doughs float to the surface, they are fully cooked. Transfer them into a bowl filled with cold water.

Drain the dango and place them on a plate. If you made dango for skewers, now is the time to piece them together into skewers. Set them aside.

For glaze

Combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and mix well.

Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook on the stovetop on medium heat.

Continuously whisk the mixture until thickened. *The consistency changes very quickly and the mixture burns easily. So please keep a close eye on it!

Once the glaze gets thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the sauce to a container or bowl.

To decorate

Pour the glaze on top of plated dango doughs with a spoon. For the ball, you can pour the glaze all over on top. For the Shiba Inu dango doughs, pour the glaze on the top half of Shiba Inu’s faces.

Next, let’s clip the seaweed! Cut the seaweed with the seaweed cutting tool that came with the rice ball mold (shown below).

Place a piece of seaweed sheet on top of the red mat. Then place the mold you like on top and push it evenly against the seaweed sheets. Once you hear the crunching noise of seaweed getting cut out, lift the mold and pick up the seaweed cutouts. Or cut the seaweed sheets with scissors into shapes.

Place the seaweed cutouts on top of dango doughs. I placed paw prints on the dango balls and Shiba Inu faces on the rest.

How to store Mitarashi Dango

It is best to finish dango on the same day it was cooked. If you have any leftovers, they will last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Dango can get hard after being refrigerated. If this happens, zap them in a microwave in 30 seconds increments until it gets soft again.

If you like this mitarashi dango recipe, you may also like:

• How To Make Rilakkuma Pull-Apart Bread
• Mochi – Shaped in Hello Kitty and Pompompurin
• Hello Kitty Cake Roll – A step by step recipe with a template

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Shiba Inu Mitarashi Dango

Have you ever had dango before? Dango is one of the Japanese traditional snacks, and I shaped them into cute Shiba Inu! They are served with sweet soy sauce glaze (aka Mitarashi Dango).

Course Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword dango

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10 dango

Calories 132kcal

Equipment

• Large bowls
• Small bowls
• Large pot
• Saucepan
• Rice ball mold – Optional, product link in notes below
• Scissors – Optional
• Skewers – If making them on skewers

Ingredients

Dango

• 1 cup Joshinko 100 grams
• 1 cup Shiratamako 125 grams
• 8 oz Silken tofu 225 grams
• 2 teaspoons Sugar 10 grams

Sweet Soy Sauce Glaze

• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
• 2 tablespoons Corn starch 15 grams
• 4 tablespoons Sugar 25 grams
• ⅔ cup water

Decoration

• Some seaweed (Nori) sheets

Instructions

Dango

• In a large bowl, mix Shiratamako, Joshinko, sugar, and silken tofu. Knead by hand until the dango dough becomes smooth and shapes into a ball. (If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add 1 teaspoon of warm water at a time and keep kneading.)
• Start boiling a large pot of water on low heat.
• Divide the dango dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll five of them into balls. Each ball should be about 1.5 inches in diameter.

  As for the rest of the five pieces, fit each dango dough into a Shiba Inu shape with the rice ball mold then gently push the dough out starting from the edges to keep the shape when removing from the mold. Or make any other shapes you like!

  If you are going for dango on skewer style, roll the dough into 1 inch in diameter. There will be more than 10 dango balls at the end.
• Boil the dango doughs in boiling water. Stir them occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the dango doughs float to the surface, they are fully cooked. Transfer them into a bowl filled with cold water.
• Drain the dango and place them on a plate. If you made dango for skewers, now is the time to piece them together into skewers. Set them aside.

Sweet Soy Sauce Glaze

• Combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and mix well.
• Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook on the stovetop on medium heat.
• Continuously whisk the mixture until thickened. *The consistency changes very quickly and the mixture burns easily. So please keep a close eye on it!
• Once the glaze gets thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the sauce to a container or bowl.

Decorate

• Pour the glaze on top of plated dango doughs with a spoon. For the ball, you can pour the glaze all over on top. For the Shiba Inu dango doughs, pour the glaze on the top half of Shiba Inu's faces.
• Cut the seaweed with the seaweed cutting tool that came with the rice ball mold. Place a piece of seaweed sheet on top of the red mat. Then place the mold you like on top and push it evenly against the seaweed sheets. Once you hear the crunching noise of seaweed getting cut out, lift the mold and pick up the seaweed cutouts.

  Or cut the seaweed sheets with scissors into shapes.
• Place the seaweed cutouts on top of dango doughs. I placed paw prints on the dango balls and Shiba Inu faces on the rest.

The post Shiba Inu Mitarashi Dango Recipe appeared first on Simply A Homebody.