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Dorayaki is a popular Japanese snack made of two sweet pancakes with Anko (sweet red bean paste) in the middle.  It is the favourite snack of the Japanese anime character Doraemon and of course many Japanese people.

As a fan of Doraemon, I had seen him consume numerous dorayaki but I could never find them in my local stores.  I first tasted this wonderful treat when a student of mine brought some back for me when she went on vacation in Japan.  They were soooo amazing. I was hooked but was still unable to find them anywhere in my city.

Some time later another student, knowing my fondness for dorayaki and Doraemon, found some in a local Korean supermarket.  They were imported from Japan but to survive the trip they were frozen in Japan and thawed before being sold.  Although the basic taste was there I had been spoiled by the taste of fresh dorayaki direct from Japan.

I was now determined to taste fresh dorayaki again and I knew the only way that would happen is to make them myself.  I found a few recipes online and after some trial and error I found one that I thought matched the fresh dorayaki I so fondly remembered.  The real test was when I gave them to some of my Japanese students and they told me they were just like back in Japan.  Success!!!

I have since refined the recipe and improved my pancake making techniques.  I now have some of my Japanese students tell me they like my dorayaki better than the ones in Japan.  I even do a cooking club every few months where I teach Japanese students how to make dorayaki.

 

Anko (sweet red bean paste)

1 cup dried azuki beans
1 1/2 cup sugar
  water

 

Makes 4 cups.

Variations:

 

The Pancakes

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1-2 tbsp honey
175g all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda (rounded)
  Anko (see above)

 Mix

Cook

Assemble

Makes 18 - 24 dorayaki.

Variations: