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Kuri manju
Chestnut buns
Japanese baked chestnut buns with white bean paste and an egg-yolk glaze
Made to look like a chestnut, kuri manju (栗まんじゅう) is one of Japan's favourite baked wagashi, a little teardrop of tender, cake-like dough wrapped around sweet white bean paste studded with candied chestnut. The top is glazed twice with egg yolk until it bakes a glossy chestnut brown, and the flat base is dipped in poppy seeds to mimic the pale bottom of a real chestnut. Japanese confectioners sell them all year, but they are most popular in autumn, given as gifts and eaten with green tea. Freshly baked, the dough is slightly firm; after a day in a tin the moisture from the filling softens it, so they are even better the next day. Glazing only once is an easy mistake: the first coat soaks in and looks patchy, so brush, bake briefly and brush again. Chef's tip: dust your hands well with flour as you wrap; this dough is soft and sticky, and handling it with floured fingers is the only way to keep the shell thin and even.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 egg
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- ⅓ oz unsalted buttermelted
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of sodadissolved in 1 tsp water
- 5 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for dusting
For the filling
- 9 ½ oz white bean paste (shiro-an)
- 2 ⅞ oz candied chestnuts in syrupdrained and chopped
To finish
- 1 egg yolkfor no egg glaze, use 2 tbsp milk; the colour will be paler
- ¼ tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp white or blue poppy seeds
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Whisk 1 egg and 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Stir in ⅔ oz sweetened condensed milk, ⅓ oz unsalted butter and ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda.
Step 2: Sift in 5 ½ oz plain flour and fold together into a soft, sticky dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes so it firms up.
30 minStep 3: Mix 9 ½ oz white bean paste (shiro-an) with 2 ⅞ oz candied chestnuts in syrup and roll into 10 balls of about 35 g.
Step 4: Dust the worktop and your hands with flour. Divide the dough into 10 pieces (about 25 g each), flatten one into a 7 cm disc and wrap it around a filling ball, pinching to seal. Roll gently into a teardrop shape and flatten the base.
Step 5: Dab the bottom third of each bun with a little water and dip it into 1 tbsp white or blue poppy seeds. Set on a lined tray, seeds down. Brush off any excess flour from the tops with a dry pastry brush.
Step 7: Bake for 5 minutes, then take out the tray and brush the tops again.
5 minStep 8: Return to the oven for 8–10 minutes, until glossy and a deep chestnut brown, and the sides spring back when pressed lightly.
9 minStep 9: Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight tin. They are best the next day and keep for 4–5 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 39 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuri manju take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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