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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Have you tried Japanese Coffee Jelly before? You might have seen an anime character eating it on TV, or if you have been to Japan, you might have seen it next to Purin at convenience stores. Coffee Jelly is a chilled coffee with gelatin, and it’s been a popular dessert in Japan for decades. It’s…
Matcha Chiffon Cake is soft sponge cake flavored with Matcha green tea powder. This light and fluffy and not overly sweet cake is great by itself, but it also goes very well with sweet whipped cream and berries, like we made here. Matcha Chiffon Cake is perfect for afternoon tea time, and it is also…