Japanese Bean Cookies
3 servings
70 minutes
Japanese bean cookies are a refined dessert that combines traditional Japanese ingredients with European culinary techniques. Red beans, known in Japan as adzuki, give the cookies softness and a light sweetness, while apple adds fruity freshness. Cottage cheese and whole grain flour provide a tender texture, and walnuts add a pleasant crunch. These cookies are perfect for morning tea or as a healthy snack. In Japan, beans are often used in sweet dishes, and these cookies embody centuries-old gastronomic traditions with a modern approach to healthy eating. The cookies offer a harmony of flavors—natural sweetness, light nutty bitterness, and the subtle tartness of apple. They beautifully complement the Japanese tea ceremony or serve as an exquisite dessert for gourmets.
1
Boil the red beans, drain the water, and cool them down - or use canned ones.
- Red kidney beans: 220 g
2
Cut the apple in half, remove the core, and microwave for four minutes.
- Apple: 1 piece
3
Blend the beans, apple, egg, cottage cheese, and sugar in a blender. Mix the dry ingredients — flour, starch, and baking powder. Add them to the dough along with chopped nuts, and salt to taste.
- Red kidney beans: 220 g
- Apple: 1 piece
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
- Curd cheese (tvorog): 150 g
- Cane sugar: 100 g
- Whole grain (wholemeal) flour: 170 g
- Cornstarch: 30 g
- Baking powder: 7 g
- Walnuts: 35 g
- Salt: to taste
4
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spoon the cookies onto the tray, occasionally wetting the spoon with cold water. Decorate with halves of nuts and bake for fifteen minutes.
- Walnuts: 35 g
