Hydrangea (Japanese Confectionery) Made with Simmered Beans

Name: Hydrangea (Japanese Confectionery) Made with Simmered Beans
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 packet Store-bought simmered white runner beans; 1/2 packet ☆ Powdered kanten; 250 ml ☆ Water; 60 grams ☆ Sugar; 1 dash Liquor of your choice; 1/2 packet ★ Powdered kanten; 160 ml ★ Water; 40 grams ★ Sugar; 80 ml Grape juice

cookpad.japan @cookpad_jp

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite kinds of flowers, a true beauty during the rainy season. On the first attempt to make these confectioneries, I used two variations of homemade anko, shiro-an (white bean paste) and zunda-an (crushed edamame), to make balls of anko with two colors. So it took a while to create them. I happened to have store-bought simmered runner beans in the refrigerator, and I thought I could use that instead to make these desserts. I gave it a try and they turned out to be quite delicious.

If you're using grape juice containing over 50% fruit juice, slightly cool the bean mixture before adding the juice. If you add the juice while the mixture's heating in the pan, it won't harden. If the juice contains a small amount of natural fruit juice, it's fine to add it in while heating the pan. For 10 hydrangeas. Recipe by Kentama okan

cookpad.japan @cookpad_jp

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Ingredients

10 servings

1packet Store-bought simmered white runner beans
1/2packet ☆ Powdered kanten
250 ml☆ Water
60 grams☆ Sugar
1 dashLiquor of your choice
1/2packet ★ Powdered kanten
160 ml★ Water
40 grams★ Sugar
80 mlGrape juice

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Steps

1

I used store-bought simmered beans for the anko ball in the center. Of course, you could use your favorite sweet bean paste, shiro-an (white bean paste), zunda-an (crushed edamame), tsubu-an (chunky red bean paste), or koshi-an (smooth red bean paste), etc..
2

Divide the powdered kanten into 2 g portions. Wet the inside of the plastic containers (or Tupperware) which will be used to pour in the kanten liquid.
3

For the clear version: Add the ☆ ingredients to the pan, mix, and heat until it comes to a boil. Turn off the heat, pour a small amount of rum or any liquor of your choice, mix, and pour it into the plastic container.
4

For the purple version: Prepare in the same way as the clear version. Add the ★ ingredients to the pan, simmer to dissolve, remove from heat, and put the bottom of the pan in iced water to cool. Once it's cooled, pour in the grape juice, mix, and pour it into the plastic container. Chill both containers in the refrigerator until both mixtures set.
5

Warm up the simmered beans in the microwave and put them in a bowl.
6

Mash the beans with a potato masher, or of course, it would be better processed in the food processor.
7

Divide the mashed beans into about 20 g portions. If using ordinary anko, roll into balls.
8

Once both variations of the kanten sets, cut into 5-6 mm dices.
9

Take 80 g of the clear variation of kanten, put it in a pan, and reheat to melt.
10

Set aside 120 g of the purple kanten (in the photo, it's set aside to the right). Combine the remaining 2 variations of diced kanten into your desired balance.
11

The clear kanten is melted in the photo.
12

Add the purple kanten set aside to the pan, mix, and melt in the residual heat. It's fine even if it doesn't melt completely. This kanten mixture will act like the glue.
13

Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on your palm, and spoon on about 30 g of the diced kanten.
14

Spoon on about 20 g of the kanten mixture acting as the glue from Step 12, and put the anko ball (simmered runner bean paste rolled into balls) from Step 7 on top.
15

As you push in the anko ball, wrap and tightly twist the plastic wrap to form the mixture into a ball.
16

Chill in the refrigerator again.
17

The inside looks like this.