Super Easy! Red and White Heart Manju (Steamed Buns) for Valentine's Day

1. 1

   Cut out 7 5 cm wide squares of parchment paper.

2. 2

   Shape the koshi-an filling into 7 30 g balls.

3. 3

   Combine the ingredients, sifting the flour and baking powder before adding.

4. 4

   Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the white dough to be used as decoration.

5. 5

   Add red food coloring (dissolved in a bit of water if using powdered food coloring) to the remaining dough to make it pink.

6. 6

   Separate the dough into 7 pieces.

7. 7

   Place on a plate that's covered with flour.

8. 8

   Dust your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking.

9. 9

   Dust both sides of the dough with flour and wrap it around the filling.

10. 10

    Even though the dough should be very soft, it will be pliable enough to wrap easily.

11. 11

    Stretch out the dough you set aside into heart shapes.

12. 12

    Arrange on top of the manju.

13. 13

    Steam over medium heat for 7 minutes.

14. 14

    They fall apart if over-steamed, so check after 6 minutes.

15. 15

    If not using a steamer, cover the lid with a dishtowel (to prevent drips).

16. 16

    If you touch the manju while they're still hot, the dough will be extremely sticky, so wait until after they're cool to handle.

17. 17

    Wrap in plastic wrap and store.

18. 18

    They're easy to make and so delicious!

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.