Go Back
Two Chocolate Nama Yatsuhashi on a brown plate.
Print

Chocolate Nama Yatsuhashi

A recipe for Chocolate Nama Yatsuhashi! This confection from Kyoto is made by folding a thin, chocolate rice flour base over a decadent chocolate ganache or chocolate white bean filling.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword chocolate, dessert, Japan, Japanese, Kyoto, mochi, wagashi
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 33 minutes
Servings 9 Nama Yatsuhashi

Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache:

  • 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) heavy cream
  • 3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped

Chocolate White Bean Filling:

  • 1 ounce (30 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped
  • 6 tablespoons (100 grams) Shiroan white bean paste

For Dusting:

  • 2 tablespoons (14 grams) Kinako roasted soybean flour
  • 1 tablespoon (5 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

Chocolate Nama Yatsuhashi:

  • 1/3 cup (40 grams) Shiratamako
  • 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) hot water
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) Joshinko
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (5 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) hot water

Instructions

To make the chocolate ganache:

  • Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
  • Place the chocolate chips in a medium, heat-safe bowl and set aside.
  • Once the cream is steaming, but not yet at a boil, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate in the bowl.
  • Allow to rest for 30 seconds, then whisk together until completely melted and smooth.
  • Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm enough to scoop into rounds, about 1 hour.

To make the chocolate white bean filling:

  • In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
  • Fold the chocolate with the white bean paste until evenly combined. Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

To make the dusting powder:

  • In a small bowl, stir together the Kinako and cocoa powder until evenly combined. Set aside.

To make the Chocolate Nama Yatsuhashi:

  • Place the Shiratamako in a large microwave-safe bowl.
  • Add 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) of the hot water and mix well with a whisk or spatula until there are no lumps remaining.
  • Mix in the Joshinko, sugar, and cocoa powder, followed by another 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) hot water until evenly blended. If still too powdery, slowly add another small splash of water.
  • Cover the bowl lightly with a sheet of plastic wrap.
  • Microwave the bowl for 1 minute.
  • Fold the dough with a lightly wet spatula to evenly mix, then microwave again for 1 minute.
  • Repeat this process and microwave for 30 more seconds, then, if needed, another 30 seconds to create an evenly glossy and sticky dough.
  • Dust a large work surface with some of the Kinako cocoa mixture.
  • Place the hot, just microwaved dough on the kinako-covered surface and dust the top with a little more of the kinako mixture.
  • Quickly roll the dough with a rolling pin, dusting as needed, into a thin 9 inch (23 centimeter) square sheet about 1/16 inch (1.5 millimeters). If necessary, use your hands to lightly stretch the dough into a more even shape.
  • Use a sharp knife or pastry wheel to cut the sheet into 9 even squares (about 3 x 3 inches/7-8 x 7-8 centimeters).
  • If you did not get the squares completely even, use a sharp knife to cut off any excess pieces.
  • Place a 1/2 ounce (15 gram) spoonful of either the chocolate bean paste or chocolate ganache in the center of a square.
  • Fold the square over from corner to opposite corner to form a triangle. If needed, wet the edges lightly with water to help them stick.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining squares and filling.
  • Brush off any excess Kinako.
  • Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day. Do not refrigerate.