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Popular Japanese Hiyoko Manju at Home Recipe

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4.5 from 82 reviews

Hiyoko Manju is a popular Japanese sweet treat shaped like little chicks, featuring a soft, moist dough enveloping a sweet white bean paste filling. This homemade version uses sweetened condensed milk for a tender dough and offers an optional freezing step to ease shaping. Baked to a light golden finish, these adorable confections are a delightful balance of texture and sweetness, perfect for gifting or enjoying with tea.

Ingredients

Scale

Manju Dough

  • 93 g sweetened condensed milk (about ⅓ cup minus 1 tsp)
  • 16 g egg yolk (about 1 large egg yolk)
  • 2 g baking soda (⅓ tsp)
  • 20 g cornstarch (about ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp)
  • 75 g cake flour (about ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp)

Filling

  • 250 g sweet white bean paste (or alternate fillings such as red bean paste, lotus bean paste, or almond paste)

Instructions

  1. Pre-portion and Freeze the Filling (Optional): Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to portion the sweet white bean paste or your chosen filling into small balls. Place these portions onto a parchment-lined plate or tray and freeze them for at least 3-4 hours or overnight. This optional step helps make shaping and sealing the dough easier.
  2. Prepare the Dough: Place a metal or glass bowl over a smaller bowl filled with hot or boiling water to create a warm bath. Add the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolk to the top bowl and stir gently until the mixture is warm. Sift in the baking soda, cornstarch, and cake flour, stirring continuously. Mix until a soft, almost gooey dough forms. The dough will be sticky at this stage.
  3. Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until it becomes cold and firm.
  4. Shape and Fill: After chilling, scrape the dough onto a tray sprinkled lightly with cornstarch. Divide the dough into 12-16 equal pieces, coating them lightly with cornstarch to prevent sticking. Dust your hands with cornstarch and flatten each piece into a thin disk. Place one portion of the pre-frozen (or room temperature) filling in the center of the disk. Carefully wrap the dough around the filling and roll it into a ball. If cracks appear in the dough, patch them using small pieces of dough which will smooth out during baking. Then, apply light pressure gently rolling the center of the ball along your thumb and index finger to create the chick’s neck. Pinch a tiny piece of dough at the front to form a small beak.
  5. Bake the Manju: Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C). Arrange the shaped manju on a parchment-lined baking sheet spaced apart. Bake for 12-13 minutes until they turn a light golden color.
  6. Cool and Rest: Let the manju cool completely at room temperature. For the best texture, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. This resting step transforms the texture from delicate and crisp to smooth and velvety.

Notes

  • Freezing the filling is optional but highly recommended to make shaping easier and prevent stickiness while wrapping.
  • If cracks appear in the dough during shaping, patch them gently with small pieces of dough.
  • Refrigerating the baked manju overnight enhances the texture, making it smooth and velvety instead of crisp.
  • You may substitute sweet white bean paste with red bean paste, lotus bean paste, or almond paste based on preference.
  • Handle the dough with cornstarch to prevent sticking during shaping.

Keywords: Hiyoko Manju, Japanese sweets, bean paste, baked manju, traditional Japanese dessert

Find it online: https://dinewithlily.com/popular-japanese-hiyoko-manju-at-home-recipe/