by : Reiko Sweets

V French Silk Pie
Vフレンチ・シルク・パイ

Do you think out loud?

Well, I do.

Mostly when I’m thinking about food.

We had some friends over for dinner the other day, and I was thinking about what I should make for dessert.

Apparently I was thinking out loud, and my husband heard me saying “French silk pie” as one of the ideas.

He loved the idea and he insisted that it should be the one to make.

I like my crust thick.

As you can see.

This Vegan French silk pie turned out to be absolutely delicious!

I would have to say this is probably one of my favorite desserts.

The major ingredient of the filling is avocado, and even though you don’t taste it at all, you feel less guilty eating it.

Avocado is a vegetable, right? (lol)

I topped it off with coconut cream (sweetened with sugar).

4 small V French Silk Pies – filling: 2 avocados, melted chocolate, sugar, strong coffee, non-dairy milk

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by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Bread, Breakfast, Sweets

KYOTO Cinnamon Rolls
KYOTOシナモンロール

Any type of homemade rolls make an awesome weekend breakfast in my opinion.

Cinnamon is always a good idea.

This time I added homemade sweet red beans.

My roll does not form perfectly, but that’s okay.

A little imperfection is a charm in any homemade baked goods, right?

When they were out of the oven, I drizzled Matcha green glaze.

Or should I say I smothered the rolls.

Then sprinkle chopped walnuts.

If you ask me, this combination of cinnamon, sweet adzuki (red beans), Matcha, and walnuts is absolutely amazing!

A cup of hot coffee is definitely recommended to accompany these rolls.

Black, of course.

I am using a fork in this picture, but in reality, I used my hands.

It gets messy, but licking the mixture of sweet red beans and Matcha glaze is a fun part of this breakfast.

Have a great weekend!

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by : Reiko Asian Food, Sweets

Mini Daifuku Pouches
ミニ苺・パイン大福

Daifuku is a type of traditional Japanese sweets.

It’s usually sticky mochi stuffed with sweet bean paste inside.

Sometime people like to add fruit inside along with the bean paste, and strawberry is probably the most popular one.

I happened to have beautifu fresh pineapple, so I decided to make the pineapple version, too.

The Daifuku mochi is pretty easy to make when you use a microwave oven.

Aren’t they adorable?

They are so smooth, just like baby’s butts!

I wasn’t sure how the pineapple version would turn out, but I really liked it, as its tartness goes well with the sweet beans.

It’s really refreshing.

My pink Sashiko (Japanese traditional embroidery) cloth looks perfect in this picture.

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by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Breakfast, Sweets

Miyabi Scones
雅スコーン

Scone is usually not my favorite baked goods to pick up from bakeries.

They look and sound cool, but often times I get disappointed by its dryness.

So I got very excited, because these scones turned out to be not only tasty but also nicely moist inside.

This is something I’ve been somewhat obsessed about lately.

It’s roasted soy bean powder, called “kinako”.

Kinako has been used for many many years as part of the traditional Japanese sweets.

It was never my favorite, when I lived in Japan, but now I really appreciate its unique sophisticated flavor.

Trader Joe’s really does a good job with packaging designs.

They make me want to buy their product because they look good in my kitchen.

These beautiful Japanese black beans were a gift from my friend, and I thought these would be perfect to be added to these scones.

I wonder if using beans for sweets is only found in Asia, and if so, why that is…?

Just out of the oven!

These scones were so good, and I really enjoyed them with my homemade v-butter.

Perfect for breakfast and snack.

I still have some “kinako” left, so I guarantee you’ll see other things made with it soon here.

Miyabi Scones – makes about 8

175g all purpose flour
50g “kinako” Japanese roasted soy bean powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
a pinch salt
25g sugar
55g refined coconut oil, in solid condition
150ml soy milk
1/2 cup cooked Japanese black beans “kuromame”
soy milk to brush on before baking

1. Preheat the oven to 410F.
2. Combine flour, kinako, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix well.
3. Add coconut oil. Mix using hands.
4. Add milk and black beans. Do not knead.
5. Flat the dough, about 1-inch thick.
6. Cut out; I used a 7cm round cutter. Place on a pan lined with parchment paper.
7. Brush soy milk on top.
8. Bake for about 15 minutes.

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by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Sweets

Adzuki Brownies
小倉ブラウニー

We hear that our country has been becoming diverse.

But when I saw “Adzuki” beans being sold at a regular (not an Asian store) grocery store, the word “diversity” really hit me.

I almost couldn’t believe it!

Adzuki beans are typically cooked to make sweet bean paste that has been a major part of traditional Japanese sweets for many many years.

Although some Japanese dishes (e.g., sushi, ramen) have become pretty well-known, adzuki has not really caught any attention.

So I was extremely surprised that they were this easy to come by.

The price is not bad either.

I bought 300g (0.66 lbs) and it was less than $3.

My mom cooks adzuki beans herself and makes sweet paste.

But this was my first time cooking adzuki, and I quickly found out that cooking beans can take time.

It took me a little over 2 hours from start to finish, but it was so worth it, because it tastes so much better than the store-bought one that I usually get from an Asian store.

There are so many things you can make with this, but there was a recipe I wanted to try.

Brownies!

Adzuki beans and chocolate?

Well, it’s actually not a bad combination.

These brownies are tasty yet light, and before you know it, your hand is reaching for one after another.

The recipe called for rice flour.

I don’t have a lot of experience baking with rice flour, so I didn’t know what to expect.

But I really liked the final result.

Texture-wise, it’s closer to cake than brownies.

These can be a nice little gift when wrapped individually.

By the way, I started pottery again.

I’m still the super beginner, and there are a lot to learn.

But I really enjoy serving food on my own plate.

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by : Reiko Sweets

Ube Parfait Japonais
ウベパフェ・ジャポネ

I’ve never been a big ice cream person.

So when a vegan ice cream shop, Crepe and Spoon, opened, I did go check it out, but I didn’t think I would go back so quickly.

But I did.

Because I found the flavor I loved.

Ube is not only pretty-colored, but also delicious.

The ice cream shop changes their flavors quite frequently, so when I was there last time and found that they did have Ube, I decided to come home with a pint.

By the way, this is how my husband eats his ice cream.

He is a “melter”.

It is obvious that he was eating the melting edge!

This Ube parfait was so good.

Along with the Ube ice cream, what you find in this parfait are sweet red beans, wonton crisps, and roasted chestnut.

When I decided to make this parfait, I knew this is the bowl I wanted to serve it in.

This beautiful organic look screams “wabi-sabi”.

Happy Thursday evening, everyone.

Who else is excited about getting close to the weekend?

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