Hydrangea (Japanese Confectionery) Made with Simmered Beans
- 1 packet Store-bought simmered white runner beans
- 1/2 packet Powdered kanten
- 250 ml Water
- 60 grams Sugar
- 1 dash Liquor of your choice
- 1/2 packet Powdered kanten
- 160 ml Water
- 40 grams Sugar
- 80 ml Grape juice
- I used store-bought simmered beans for the anko ball in the center.
- Of course, you could use your favorite sweet bean paste, shiro-an (white bean paste), zunda-an (crushed edamame), tsubu-an (chunky red bean paste), or koshi-an (smooth red bean paste), etc..
- Divide the powdered kanten into 2 g portions.
- Wet the inside of the plastic containers (or Tupperware) which will be used to pour in the kanten liquid.
- For the clear version: Add the ingredients to the pan, mix, and heat until it comes to a boil.
- Turn off the heat, pour a small amount of rum or any liquor of your choice, mix, and pour it into the plastic container.
- For the purple version: Prepare in the same way as the clear version.
- Add the ingredients to the pan, simmer to dissolve, remove from heat, and put the bottom of the pan in iced water to cool.
- Once it's cooled, pour in the grape juice, mix, and pour it into the plastic container.
- Chill both containers in the refrigerator until both mixtures set.
- Warm up the simmered beans in the microwave and put them in a bowl.
- Mash the beans with a potato masher, or of course, it would be better processed in the food processor.
- Divide the mashed beans into about 20 g portions.
- If using ordinary anko, roll into balls.
- Once both variations of the kanten sets, cut into 5-6 mm dices.
- Take 80 g of the clear variation of kanten, put it in a pan, and reheat to melt.
- Set aside 120 g of the purple kanten (in the photo, it's set aside to the right).
- Combine the remaining 2 variations of diced kanten into your desired balance.
- The clear kanten is melted in the photo.
- Add the purple kanten set aside to the pan, mix, and melt in the residual heat.
- It's fine even if it doesn't melt completely.
- This kanten mixture will act like the glue.
- Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on your palm, and spoon on about 30 g of the diced kanten.
- Spoon on about 20 g of the kanten mixture acting as the glue from Step 12, and put the anko ball (simmered runner bean paste rolled into balls) from Step 7 on top.
- As you push in the anko ball, wrap and tightly twist the plastic wrap to form the mixture into a ball.
- Chill in the refrigerator again.
- The inside looks like this.
beans, kanten, water, sugar, your choice, kanten, water, sugar, grape juice
Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/170755-hydrangea-japanese-confectionery-made-with-simmered-beans (may not work)