Dorayaki (Japanese Sweet Bean Paste Sandwiches)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 1/3 cups sifted flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 tablespoons water

• 1 cup adzuki bean paste

• 1 cup azuki beans, washed

• 1 strip kombu, 4-6 inches long, soaked and diced

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1/8-1/4 tsp. sea salt

• barley malt

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cooking Time: 10 min

Instructions:
Combine the sugar, eggs, and honey in a mixing bowl; blend well. Mix in the flour, then the baking soda and water. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in a 3-inch circle of batter, spreading it out as thinly as possible. Cook for 20 seconds, until small bubbles appear on the surface. Flip the crepe with a spatula and cook for 15 seconds, until golden brown.

Let cool, then spread the bean paste on half of the crepes, then top with the remaining crepes.

Adzuki Bean Paste:

Pressure cook the beans together with the kombu and raisins for about an hour. Remove from flame, allow pressure to come down and place on a low flame. Add sea salt and barley malt. Cook for another ten minutes or so. Mash the beans with a wooden pestle or grind in a suribachi (Japanese mortar and pestle arrangement), until they become a thick, fairly smooth paste.