Recipe: Brocade of Spring

Brocade of Spring

Nerikiri Artistic cake in Spring brocade color, Cherry blossoms, dandelion or mimosa and fresh green leaves.

Nerikiri is a type of artistic and high-grade traditional Japanese sweets, originally made to be served at tea ceremonies. Nerikiri not only adds sweetness to the palate but also fully complements the flavor of matcha or green tea.

Nerikiri Set

Nerikiri Set includes:
- Nerikiri dough: 250g,
- Adzuki anko paste: 150g
for 10 pieces of Nerikiri Artistic Cakes


What you need

Food color (any brand), Spatula, Plate (Flat tray), Plastic wrap, Hand wipe (wet towel)

Instructions

1.

Divide Adzuki anko paste filling into 10 separate lumps. Cover with the plastic wrap, because the Adzuki anko paste gets dry very easy.
After touch Adzuki anko paste, please clean your fingers with a wet towel or wash hands, the Adzuki anko paste can cause black stain on Nerikiri dough.

2.

Equally divide Nerikiri dough into 3 portions (about 3.2 oz / 93 g each) . Cover with the plastic wrap.

3.

Color each portion of Nerikiri dough. For the sample Nerikiri, I used red (pink), yellow and green. Carefully add a drop of food coloring to a half portion of Nerikiri dough and mix well with your fingers until the paste is evenly colored. Please color little by little, because once get deep color, you can not return to lighter color, so be careful. If you want deeper color, add an additional drop and mix, add drops of food coloring until turn into your desired color. Color the other two portions. Prepare total 3 different colors of Nerikiri dough portions.

4.

Equally divide each color Nerikiri dough portion into 10 portions and form into a ball shape. Cover with the plastic wrap.

5.

Place one of each 3 color balls of Nerikiri dough on palm of your hand in a triangle shape.

Use the other palm of the hand to flatten 3 balls to about 2 - 3 inches round.

6.

Place the Adzuki anko paste ball on the center of the flattened round Nerikiri dough, and then wrap the Nerikiri dough around the ball. Pinch to seal and form into a ball shape.

7.

Place the Nerikiri ball from step 6 on a sheet of plastic wrap (about 8 x 12 inches). Gently wrap the plastic around the Nerikiri ball, twisting the wrap on top, and keeping the round ball shape in the palm of your hand. Use your thumb, index finger and middle finger, slightly squeeze and push the top of the Nerikiri ball and form somewhat pointy top. Then gently remove the wrap. Repeat to form 10 Nerikiri cakes.