Japanese sweets Anmitsu Yokan あんみつ羊羹

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• ½ tsp kanten powder (*1)
• 250 g Anko red bean paste (*2)
• ½ cup Shiratamako(glutinous rice flour) (*3 60g)
• 2 oz silken tofu or water (*4)
• 1 tsp beetroot juice (*5)
• 1 can mandarin
• 2 packets roasted chestnuts
• 1/2 cup Matcha kanten (*6)

Steps

1. 1

   Dissolve the kanten powder in the water, boil in a saucepan over high heat.

2. 2

   When boiling, turn the heat off and add red bean paste.

3. 3

   Stir the bean paste in with a wooden spatula and put it back on heat.

4. 4

   Once boiling, turn the heat off and pour the mixture into a mold.

5. 5

   Leave to cool at room temperature for 10-15 min.

6. 6

   Place glutinous rice flour (Shiratamako) into a bowl.

7. 7

   Add water or tofu gradually to make a dough of ear lobe softness.

8. 8

   Divide the dough into two equal balls and make one pink coloured by adding beetroot juice or food colouring.

9. 9

   Make small balls out of those two coloured doughs.

10. 10

    Boil water and cook those balls till they float the surface of the boiling water.

11. 11

    Remove the cooked balls into a bowl of cold water.

12. 12

    Drain the cold water and set aside.

13. 13

    Place larger surface ingredients such as mandarin first on top of half solidified yokan mixture.

14. 14

    Scatter all anmitsu topping ingredients and refrigerate it till set.