Discover the exquisite taste of Manju, delightful Japanese cookies filled with sweet bean paste.
These baked manju are filled with koshi an, a smooth paste made of red (azuki) beans and sugar. This recipe uses canned koshi an from the Asian grocery, which saves hours of work.
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 (18 ounce) can koshi an (sweetened red bean paste)
  • ¼ cup evaporated milk, or as needed

Directions

  • Step 1:
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
  • Step 2:
    Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat eggs, 1 at a time, into creamed butter until smooth; add vanilla extract and beat well.
  • Step 3:
    Sift flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture, mixing well after each addition, until dough is smooth.
  • Step 4:
    Generously flour your hands. Make walnut-size balls from the dough and press into 4-inch circles on a floured surface, making the circles thicker in the center and thinner on the edges. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons koshi an in the center of each dough circle. Gather the edges together and pinch dough around the filling until sealed. Place dough balls, pinched-side down, on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Brush dough balls with evaporated milk.
  • Step 5:
    Bake in the preheated oven until tops are lightly browned, about 15 minutes.