Pie Crust Manju

Are those chocolate-filled biscuits? Nope--pie crust manju!

It's no secret that Japan is teeming with a scrumptious selection of sweet treats: Portuguese-inspired castella cakes, chocolate-stuffed butter biscuits stamped with Hello Kitty and other epically cute animals, and decorative blocks of jelly-like yokan, just to name a few.

But if there's one Japanese dessert you've got to try, it's Pie Crust Manju.

Imagine biting into a tender, buttery bun made of crisp, flaky pie crust. You then discover a generous dollop of sweet red bean paste, or an, cleverly hidden in the middle. Smooth, yet grainy, the an offers a gentle sweetness that marries perfectly with the slightly salty pastry shell. It's a modest, unassuming dessert. And it's something foodies and newbies will both like. After all, what can be so bad about pastry crust packed with sweet filling?

Traditionally speaking, manju is a small steamed cake filled with red bean paste, a cousin of another Japanese classic dessert, mochi. In Hawaii, they like to change it up a bit by baking manju and even making manju filled with sweet potato.

The recipe I used is from an old KTA supermarket ad that my grandma cut from the paper years ago. I used to love the Pie Crust Manju from the KTA bakery when I was growing up, so I thought it was only fitting to try their recipe. It doesn't produce exactly the same results, but gosh darn it, is it ever good. If you've ever made any kind of Asian dumpling or bun (manapua, siu mai, etc.), then you can definitely make this.

The one change I suggest is increasing the size of your dough balls. Although the recipe instructs you to make them golf ball-sized, I followed this step and ended up with a lot of extra dough. The manju then proceeded to crack open in the oven because there wasn't enough crust surrounding the an. Sad, but nonetheless tasty. I also omitted the egg wash at the end of the recipe just because I didn't have any eggs in the fridge. It's a skippable step, but the beaten egg will add a nice glossy sheen to the manju. Enjoy!


Pie Crust Manju

1 lb. (4 blocks) butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
5 C flour
3/4 C condensed milk
1 pkg. Shirakiku Brand Koshian or Tsubushian, 17.6 oz. (sweet red bean paste)
1 egg yolk (beaten)

Cream butter and sugar. Mix dry ingredients and add alternately with condensed milk. Shape dough into ball, size of golf balls. Then flatten and using a spoon fill with Koshian or Tsubushian. Cover completely and pinch underside to seal. Brush manju with beaten egg yolk. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees (preheated) for 30-40 minutes or until slightly brown. Let cool.
Will make approximately 18-20 pieces.

Chocolate Cake Batter Cocktail

Chocolate milk in a fun glass? Nope, it's a chocolate cake batter cocktail!

As a little one growing up in my mother's kitchen, I spent a good chunk of my childhood measuring flour and sugar, mixing dough with a wooden spoon, spilling flour and sugar, and generally getting in my mom's way. We would always use these yellow and green Tupperware measuring cups and this beautiful cream-colored ceramic mixing bowl with pink and blue trim, which was passed down from my great-grandmother.

Learning to bake in my mom's kitchen!

Like any kid, however, I knew the best part about baking was licking the spoon once our cakes and cookies were in the oven. (These were the days before we all bit our nails over salmonella poisoning possibilities.) Now, as an adult, I'm able to resist the temptation to eat cake batter right out of the bowl. But that doesn't stop me from enjoying a good chocolate cake batter cocktail.

That's right...I said chocolate cake batter cocktail. It's love at first sip. Taking my inspiration from the Cake Batter Martini at How Sweet It Is, I mixed together a lovely little concoction made of rum, creme de cacao, heavy whipping cream, Godiva chocolate liqueur, and--you guessed it--UV Cake vodka! Pour it all into a dainty martini glass rimmed with cream cheese frosting and nonpareils, and you've got the answer to all of your sinful cravings.


Now, I must warn you--as sweet and cutesy as this liquid indulgence seems, it packs a heavy punch. Slurping and chugging are not advised, and please enjoy in moderation. Feel free to mix and match your flavorings, too--spiced rum with buttercream frosting and chocolate sprinkles, for instance. Here's my recipe so you can try it out and decide what your tastebuds like best:

Chocolate Cake Batter Cocktail

1 oz. rum
1 1/2 oz. UV Cake vodka
1 1/2 oz. creme de cacao
1/2 oz. Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 oz. heavy whipping cream
Frosting of your choice
Rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils

Generously fill cocktail glass with ice. Pour ice into cocktail shaker. Dab frosting around rim of glass using a small spoon or spatula. Pour sprinkles onto a plate or shallow dish and press frosted glass rim into sprinkles. Gently press sprinkles with your finger to ensure they stick. Pour remaining ingredients into cocktail shaker and shake together until the outside of the shaker condenses. Strain into cocktail glass.

Neapolitan Ice Cream Cookies

Seeing as we're sitting on the cusp of autumn, I've begun thinking about transitions--shutting off our water sprinklers for the winter, replacing our cotton bedspread with our puffy down comforter, and tidily tucking away our tank tops and shorts until the sun peeks out of clouds again. It's the perfect time to segue from ice-cold ice cream to warm, home-baked ice cream cookies, like these delicious Neapolitan Ice Cream Cookies!

Who wouldn't love a fresh batch of these colorful, yummy cookies, their three buttery layers dressed up with hints of chocolate and almond? Tender and chewy, Neapolitan Ice Cream Cookies are just what you need on those harsh winter days when you've got a sweet tooth, but it's just too darn cold for frozen treats. Plus, they're super easy--and fun!--to make. All you have to do is create a single cookie dough, split it in thirds, add the appropriate coloring, place the dough in nice, even layers, refrigerate, slice, and go! The dough can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until you're ready to bake. Kids of all ages are sure to "wow" at the tri-colored strata, making it an excellent choice for birthdays, holidays, or anydays!

Here's the link to the recipe, from Betty Shimabukuro's "By Request" column in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. I previously mentioned these cookies in my post about Italian Rainbow Cookies. Enjoy!