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Matcha Tiramisu is a creative fusion dessert that combines Japanese and Italian culinary traditions. This modern twist on classic tiramisu replaces traditional espresso with a vibrant matcha syrup, while preserving the signature layers of ladyfingers and mascarpone cheese filling. The dessert offers a unique flavor profile, featuring the earthy notes of green tea complemented by the rich, smooth cream. Popular in trendy restaurants and cafes in Japan, Matcha Tiramisu has become a sophisticated and Instagram-worthy treat, especially fashionably served in wooden sake cups.

The financier is a classic French pastry – small, rectangular almond-flavored tea cakes similar to madeleines, renowned for their rich yet light texture, nutty aroma, and golden-brown color. While not widely known in the US, financiers have been beloved in Japan for decades. In fact, they’ve become one of the most popular French-origin baked confections in Japan, where they’ve evolved through the addition of Japanese flavors and interesting ingredients.

Basque Cheesecake is a Spanish cheesecake with a distinctive burnt and caramelized top. Its creamy, almost custard-like interior without a crust became a culinary sensation around the world. Japan is no exception, and Basque Cheesecake was THE dessert in the late 2010s that everybody was talking about. It is still going strong in Japan, and not only restaurants and bakeries but also many convenience stores have started making packaged Basque Cheesecakes, making it super popular among the ordinary public, not just foodies.

Anmitsu is a traditional Japanese cold dessert, a bowl of jelly cubes made from agar (a substance derived from seaweed, “Kanten” in Japanese) topped with Anko (sweet red bean paste) and simple syrup. Anmitsu is loved by many, especially older generations in Japan, for its light, refreshing taste even with sweet Anko, and its visually appealing presentation showcasing cool translucent agar cubes. This chilled sweet is very soothing during hot and humid summers, and a nice afternoon treat to cool down.

Azuki Bar is a popular frozen popsicle in Japan made from sweet Azuki red bean paste. This cool treat has been enjoyed for its nutty flavor and grainy bean texture for decades. Azuki Bar contains nothing complicated or artificial, but it’s pleasantly sweet and full of flavor. It looks just like any popsicle with a stick. It’s a wonderful cold dessert during Japan’s brutally hot and humid summers, but it also can be eaten all year round.

Fruit jelly is a juicy and refreshing dessert that allows you to enjoy the flavors of various fruits in a mildly sweetened, cold jelly. Typically, it is made by solidifying fruit puree or juice with gelatin or agar. In this recipe, we use gelatin not agar, and chunks of fresh and canned fruits are submerged in the neutral flavor of transparent jelly. Fruit jelly is a popular dessert in Japan due to its refreshing taste and attractive appearance. It’s super easy to make at home, using seasonal fruits or experimenting with various flavors.

Christmas Cake is a round layered cake, usually a sponge cake, filled with fruits, and frosted with whipped cream. The fluffy sweet cake is loved by all generations in Japan, and it has become an annual custom for the last several decades. Christmas cakes are seen everywhere in Japan during the season, such as at cake shops, supermarkets, and convenience stores. It plays a significant role in Japanese cuisine today, even though it’s not a traditional Japanese sweet.

Japanese Sweet Potato Pie (スイートポテトパイ) is a popular fall dessert when sweet potato is in season. Most Japanese bakeries carry some kinds of sweet potato pastries, bread, or desserts. This sweet potato pie is made with frozen puff pastry sheets that can be found at any supermarkets. Freshly boiled Japanese sweet potato (Satsumaimo) is mashed and mixed with butter, sugar, and milk, and sandwiched in the puff pastry sheets and baked. It’s so simple to make for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Warabimochi (Warabi Mochi, わらび餅) is a traditional Japanese dessert (wagashi) made from warabiko, a starch extracted from warabi (bracken) roots. The pure 100% warabi starch is rare today, but you can buy warabiko mixed with various kinds of starch such as sweet potato flour, usually sold as Warabimochiko (Warabi Mochi Ko).

We added more water and a bit more sugar than our original Warabi Mochi recipe and made it softer and sweeter. In addition to kinako (soybean flour) topping, kuromitsu (black sugar syrup) is poured on top. Served with green tea, it’s a fantastic dessert or a snack in the afternoon.

Purin (プリン) is a popular Japanese custard dessert that is similar to pudding or flan. The texture is light, soft and silky, and it’s almost like jello. In the past, we have made baked Purin that is more traditional and no-bake Vanilla Purin that is easier to make with gelatin. In this recipe, we made Matcha Purin (抹茶プリン) by replacing the vanilla in our Vanilla Purin with matcha green tea powder. Grassy and slightly bitter matcha goes very well with sweet custard. Instead of caramel sauce, a matcha flavored simple syrup is used. You can also add whipped cream on top if you like.