Something about Japan has an ethereal charm that also extends to its desserts, which is surprising when you look at the ingredients because they are quite simple. Imagine a simple rice cake or even a sponge cake being talked about so much that nonlocals start yearning for it. Perhaps it's the hospitality, presentation, or sheer dedication that goes into making their desserts, that sets apart Japanese desserts from every other dessert in the world. Now, you can have a taste of Japan too, with these simple recipes below.
1. Purin
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 300 ml milk
- 45 gm sugar
- 30 ml rum or 2 tsp vanilla essence
Caramel:
- 45 gm sugar
- 45 ml room temperature water
- 45 ml tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Let’s make the caramel first. Select a pot, and add the sugar and normal water to it. Without stirring, simmer on medium heat until it turns into a pool of amber liquid. This takes approx 34 minutes. Once it’s amber, lower the heat and add the hot water.
- Turn the heat off and pour it into two containers.
- Take the milk and microwave it for 2 minutes to warm it. Set aside.
- Take the whole eggs and egg yolks in a bowl, also add the sugar, 1 shot of rum or vanilla, and start whisking. Pour a little milk, mix, and pour again in batches to avoid the eggs from cooking.
- Strain the liquid equally into two containers with the caramel.
- Fix a steamer or try this DIY method: Fill a pot with water halfway and set it to heat on medium flame. Once it starts steaming, add the pudding vessels. Place two chopsticks on the pot to let air flow in, and cover with a lid, cooking for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the steamer once done, let it cool down then refrigerate both for 1 hour or overnight.
- Use a blunt knife to cut around the container and invert it upside down on a serving dish, for the pudding to release and caramel to cascade down.
2. Dango
Ingredients
- 100 gm silken tofu, soft
- 90 gm glutinous rice flour
- 50 gm sugar
- ¼ tsp strawberry powder (or pink food coloring)
- ¼ tsp matcha powder (or green food coloring)
- 56 bamboo skewers
Instructions
- Take rice flour, silken tofu, and sugar in a big bowl. Use your hands to mix, then knead into a soft dough. Take 3 smaller bowls and divide the dough into three equal parts.
- Sift strawberry powder into one dough bowl, kneading until you have a uniform pink color.
- Sift matcha powder into another dough bowl and knead well until it is green all over.
- Pluck out 5 to 6 balls from each of the three doughs, making sure all are uniform in size.
- Take a pot full of water, bring it to a boil then add the dango balls. Let them cook. Drain and take out the balls when they float up to the top putting them in an ice water bowl.
- Once slightly cool, skewer a green dango ball, add a white one then a pink one. Repeat with the rest of the sticks to have 3 dango balls on each.
3. Matcha Tiramisu
Matcha Mascarpone Cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 70 gm granulated sugar
- 225 gm mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 350 gm whipping cream
- 2 tsp matcha powder, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Matcha Soak
- 2 tsp matcha powder, sifted
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 120 ml hot water
- 2430 ladyfingers
Topping
Instructions
- Take a little water in a small saucepan, about 1 inch deep, and bring to a boil.
- Take a heatproof bowl large enough to plug the pan and not touch the water in it. Add the egg yolks and sugar.
- Once the water boils, turn off the heat and place the bowl on the pot’s mouth. Whisk continuously until it is pale in color. This takes around five minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the mascarpone cheese. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
- Take a mixing bowl, add whipping cream, matcha powder, and vanilla extract. Whisk using an electric mixer, whipping until soft peaks form.
- Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cheese with a spatula until no streaks remain. Set aside.
- Take a wide and shallow bowl, add matcha and the granulated sugar, then pour the hot water into it. Using a matcha whisk, or a regular whisk, mix until a little frothy, for about 30 seconds.
- Dip a ladyfinger just enough in the matcha soak to cover both sides. Shake to remove the excess. Place it in the bottom of any dessert bowl. Repeat until you have an even layer of ladyfingers. Top with a generous layer of mascarpone cream, and use a spatula to smoothen.
- Repeat the layers with the matchadipped ladyfingers until you end with a layer of mascarpone cream.
- Cover the bowl, and refrigerate it for four to six hours.
- Before serving, sprinkle matcha powder as a garnish over the tiramisu.