We’ve pushed on exploring white bean paste and discovered the wonderful things that the Japanese have done with it. Namely they have made white bean paste into an edible “clay” or “dough” that can then be modeled and shaped into all kinds of amazing little sweet treats called “nerikiri” or “nerikiri wagashi.”
First thing to do is to make the nerikiri dough. This dough is a combination of white bean paste and a mochi dough. (Mochi dough is made from glutinous rice and water.) These two are mixed together until a smooth, non sticking, pliable dough is formed. This dough is the outer wrapping of the nerikiri and is what is manipulated to create the different patterns, textures and shapes.
Once you have the nerikiri dough finished you can store in the fridge or freezer until you need it. Here we weighed out just what we needed for our bunnies. To start our first bunny we weighed out two individual portions, one large, one smaller.
To the smaller portion of dough we added a touch of red gel food colouring. Add a little to start and knead the color thru. Add more if needed. This way you can achieve a nice pink color.
You will notice as you knead the color in (it takes awhile) that the dough will warm up and start sticking a bit to your fingers. This is normal. Some folks add a little bit of oil to fingers to help against the stickiness. What I found most useful is to stick the bit of dough back into the fridge (wrapped up in cling film) and to let it cool back down. Cool dough = non-sticky dough.
Here are the two portions of dough again. The larger one (left) is flattened to 2 1/4 inch (6 cm) diameter circle. The smaller portion, now colored pink, is formed into a rod about the thickness of a finger.
Use a knuckle to gently press a circled indent 2/3 of the way up the circle of dough. This indent will allow the pink color to shine through more at that spot than others, creating a lovely gradation of the pink as it shows through the white dough in the finished bunny.
Press the stick of pink into the indent and then flatten straight down.
Here is the pink flattened until flush with the white dough. The overall diameter will increase a bit as you flatten. Smooth the pink edges down by brushing a finger lightly over the join.
Place the whole thing into palm of one hand. Use the fingers of the other hand to rotate the nerikiri while pulling the outer dough up and around the filling. At the same time use your thumb to press filling in. Finally enclose the filling completely.
Gently shape the dough between two palms until an smooth egg shape is form. The area that has the most pink showing through (the knuckle spot) should be at the narrower part of the egg. This will eventually be the bunny’s face.
The ears are made by pushing the sphere of the clay tool along the ‘body’ of the bunny. Push gently, lightly at first and then more pressure as you go on. The ears should be formed slightly angled away from each other, forming a kind of V, with the pink dough underneath exposed.
Black sesame seeds are perfect for the eyes. Slightly wet the flat tip of a toothpick so that it can pick up the seed. Place in desired position, then, with a tiny push, secure the eyes.
The last part is the cute fluffy bunny tail! Gotta have a tail and it’s gotta be a cute tail, amirite?! Again I borrowed a clay tool from my little girl, a tool with a triangular tip to poke a wee hole in my bunny’s bum.
Then, taking a bit of the nerikiri dough, make a tear drop shape and insert into the triangular hole. This method helps the dough to stick and the tail to stay put. Pat the tail down into a fluffy round shape. Done!
Making White Bean Paste Nerikiri Bunnies for Easter was so cool! My little girl joined the fun and we had a fabulous ol’ time, it was just when we used to play with air clay or playdough, so hands on and creative. The only difference is that after making these beautiful bunnies we were hungry and WE ATE ‘EM!! Oh my, delicious little bunnies, yum, yum…
Psssst: We also made some carrots with our leftover dough. You know, to fatten the bunnies up before WE ATE ‘EM! Muah ha ha! Happy Easter to all!
White Bean Paste Nerikiri Bunny Recipe
(makes 6 bunnies) Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 0 min Wrapping time: 5 mins
Ingredients:
Directions:
Prepare the Filling: Weigh out white bean paste filling into 20g portions and roll into balls. Cover with cling wrap and place in freezer to harden up a bit. It should be hard enough to hold its shape but still be malleable.
Weigh and Prepare the Outer Wrapping: Weigh out 90g white bean paste dough. Weigh out further in 15g portions and roll into a 6 balls, flatten each ball to a 2 1/4 inch (6 cm) diameter circles, cover with plastic wrap and let cool in fridge.
Weigh out 42g white bean paste dough. Add red gel coloring, a little at a time, and knead dough until color spreads through. Add more red coloring as needed to achieve an even pink color.
When desired color has been reached weigh out further into 7 g portions and shape each in 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) long rods, cover in cling wrap and let cool in the fridge for 8 mins.
Remove one piece each of white and pink dough from fridge. Use a knuckle to make an indent about 2/3 of the way up the white dough. The indent should go halfway thru the dough.
Place end of pink dough rod straight upwards in the indent. Flatten pink dough on top of white dough gently until the pink dough is level with white dough. Don’t go completely to the side with the pink, leave a bit of a white border.
Wrap the Nerikiri: Place filling in the center of pink side of outer wrapping dough. Place all into palm of one hand. Close up the outer wrapping by rotating with other hand while pulling up with fingers to enclose filling. Use thumb at the same time to help push the filling in. Close the outer wrapping completely around the filling.
Roll gently between palms of hands to smooth out into a ball. Pinpoint the area where the pink shows thru the most and let it be on top. Shape further into an egg shape.
Add Bunny Eyes: Slightly wet the flat tip of a toothpick or chopstick. Use it to pick up sesame seeds. Position it how you want, then press just a bit to secure.
Add Bunny Tail: Use triangular point clay tool to make a small hole in the bunny’s bottom side where you want the tail to be. Make a tear drop shape with a bit of white bean paste dough (the size you want the tail to be.) Stick the sharp end of tear drop into the hole and press gently, the tail should stick on. Once it sticks gently shape the tail into round shape.
Ta-Da! One bunny ready for Easter duty!
The nerikiri keeps in the fridge in an air tight container for 2-3 days. After that if you’re still keeping them put it in the freezer for up to 1 week. Enjoy your Bunnies and Happy Easter to all!
Pssst: Stay tuned for more nerikiri sweet treats designs. I’m totally obsessed!!
Easter-licious Treats at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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