Sweet Potato Sweet

Sweet Potato treat

Left over sweet potato from last week’s post ( I linked it for you just in case it is too bothersome to scroll down) was transformed into… Sweet Potato…right, how original!

I saw this sweets recipe in Kinokuniya the Japanese Book Store and I immediately fixated. It ( the true name of the recipe is Golden Sweet Potato)looks darling! Lucky me, I have all the ingredients at home. Trained in Switzerland and France, pretty woman- author Yasuyo Shida (信太康代) has written several cook books including the one that I studied at in the book store, in a standing position (立読み) – Sweet Potatoes, Chestnuts, Pumpkin Sweets – Is the title too straight forward?…maybe a little, but I will take it, no confusion here.

Ingredients and instruction (revised) for 12 or 16 mini Sweet Potato sweets

Preparation: cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

• Sweet potato (Satsuma sweet potato is preferred) 300g, peel skin, cut in chunks then soak in water for a few minutes.
• Baker’s sugar 100g divided in half
• Unsalted butter 30g
• 1 egg separate yolk and white
• Milk 2 Tablespoons
• Weak Power flour (薄力粉) 130g Combine with cocoa powder, cinnamon and baking powder listed below and sift  three times.
  
• Cocoa powder 20g
• Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon
• Baking powder 1 teaspoon

For decoration

• 1 egg yolk beaten
• Black sesame seeds

1. Put soaked sweet potatoes in microwave proof bowl and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon water.Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5-7 minutes at 60% power. Put back in microwave if potatoes are still hard.
2. Mash sweet potatoes with wooden pole or potato masher immediately.
3. Add butter while still warm and mix well.
4. Add 50g of sugar and keep mixing. 
5. Add egg yolk and combine well.
   
6. Divide into 6th or 8ths inside bowl (I transferred to a shallow plate for photo shoot but you don’t have to). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is ready.
    
7. Meanwhile, make dough. In a large bowl and  mix rest of sugar (50g) and egg white well.
   
8. Add milk and mix well.
9. Add sifted flour, cocoa powder and baking powder mixture in the bowl and combine well.
   
10. When it comes together,  knead with your hands until it becomes supple. Add a little bit of milk if the dough is too dry to handle.
11. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. 
12. Divide dough into 6ths or 8ths
    
13. Dust with a little flour on the surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to approximately 6 by 4 or 5 by 3inch oval shape.
14. Heat oven to 334F. Lay the sweet potato filling on the top of dough. Wrap the filling with dough to make it look like a sweet potato.
15. Cut in half diagonally and brush the cut part with beaten egg yolk. Press some black sesame seeds in.
    
16. Lay on the prepared cooking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.Cool on a cooling rack.
    

I like to re-heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds or so to eat. Hot black bean tea is perfect for this sweets. Some Japanese scientists say the black bean will prevent sugar from turning into fat. I have yet to see any evidence that that is true. I had some more sweet potatoes to spare – so I made Sweet Potato …darn, they have to come up with a better name!

Believe it or not,  I’m in a frequent buyers program at Kinokuniya.

I eventually bought the cook book. See? I’m not always a freeloader. And I love to spend time browse/reading there.

Driving on 1-5 south, I saw this: nature’s master piece. Honey slow down!You’re ruining the art! I mean my photo shoot.

 I wishing you a beautiful Autumn blessing.