Dorayaki is one of the most accessible of Japanese sweet snacks. Dora means "gong" in Japanese, so the name of this sweet probably comes from its shape. If you are a fan of Japanese TV anime, you, along with every Japanese child who grew up between 1970 and 2005, know that dorayaki is the favorite treat of Doraemon, the cat-shaped robot from the future. In Japan, dorayaki is inexpensive and vendors can be found everywhere. But it is easy enough to make at home. Essentially, it consists of two small pancakes stuck together with a filling of sweet bean paste (an), but there are endless variations. Here is a recipe I use for basic dorayaki. It makes enough for 6~8 pairs of pancakes that are approximately 4 inches in diameter:
fresh eggs, 2 large
sugar, 2/3 cup
honey, 1 tablespoon
mirin, 1 tablespoon
baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon
flour, 1 &1/2 cup
water, 5 tablespoons
commercially sold sweet bean paste (an)
Whisk the eggs and sugar together till blended. Add honey and mirin and whisk some more. Sift together the baking soda and flour, then gradually add to the rest of the ingredients in about three batches, stirring gently with a spatula or wooden spoon till mixed. Add the water last, one tablespoon at at time.
Spoon the batter onto a heated, lightly oiled hotplate or frying pan. Don't crowd the pan. Cook the pancakes over medium heat until the top surface is covered with bubbles and the edges get dry-looking (about 2 minutes). Turn the pancake over and let cook for 1 minute longer. Remove cooked pancakes to plate and keep making pancakes till the batter is used up. The honey and mirin in the batter makes the pancake turn dark brown where it touches the pan, but that is normal. Be careful not to overcook it though. It will get tough.
When the pancakes are cooled, spread bean paste over the rough side of one pancake and cover it with another so that the smooth glossy side of the pancake is facing out. Although in a pinch, you could use ordinary pancake batter for dorayaki, it won't taste the same.
Variations: (1) Add things to the pancake batter. I've succeeded with powdered yomogi (mugwort), crushed green tea leaves, and dried ume (pickled plum) granules. Coarser additions, like chopped walnuts, make it difficult to make an even pancake. (2) Save the coarser ingredients for adding to the filling. Besides walnuts, chopped sweet chestnuts make a tasty addition to the an filling. So do some fruits like strawberries and cherries (sweet&sour goes well with an), or chopped candied citrus peel (sweet&bitter goes well with an too).
Serve this sweet snack with strong green tea.
Posts
Gotta love dorayaki. This was one of the first treats I had tried after landing in Japan (mainly because Doraemon enjoys it so much), and it's always a great thing to eat on a cool autumn weekend :)
ReplyDeleteIt IS fun to buy a hot and steamy dorayaki from a vendor when your appetite is sharpened from a walk on a cool autumn day, isn't it? And when you don't live around vendors, it's also good to know you can make it at home.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if honey is a common ingredient in dorayaki? Is honey common in Japan? The reason I'm asking is because I'm allergic to honey (it gives me hives, and yes I know that sounds strange). What would be a close replacement for it in the dorayaki? My husband and I are planning on visiting Japan for at least a couple of months in about four years as well, hence my curiosity of how commonly it may or may not be used.
ReplyDeleteIt has been really wonderful finding your blog. I am currently in college to get my teaching degree with the hope of becoming an assistant English teacher in Japan. Hokkaido in general especially reminds me of my hometown, but unfortunately has changed too much in the 20 years since I lived there to feel like home anymore.
I don't know if honey is a common ingredient in Dorayaki (it's used in this recipe because it-- along with mirin-- helps give the dorayaki an even brownness, though that can be done in other ways too).
DeleteBut, Yes, honey is common in Japan in desserts, so you will want to look at the list of ingredients on store-bought sweets and ask the chef when you eat at cake shops. It is expensive, however, so you're not likely to find it in very many commercial products.
Thank you for checking out this blog. I've been so busy with my Etegami blog, that I haven't updated my Wagashi blog in a while, but I hope to do so soon. Let me know if/when you visit Hokkaido, and if you have any other questions or concerns about traveling in Japan. :)