Pikachu-anpan

Summary

Prep Time	40 mins
Cook Time	15 mins
Total Time	1 hr 55 mins
Course	Baking
Cuisine	European
Servings (Default: 12)

Ingredients

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add the milk, half of the whisked ice and the butter. Knead well with the dough hook of the mixer. The dough seems very sticky at first, but becomes nice and smooth over time. Let the finished dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in volume. I put it in the slightly preheated oven and put a cup of hot water next to it to prevent it from drying out.
After the dough has risen, knead again with your hands and divide into 12 equal parts. Separate two small pieces from each part for the ears and shape the rest into a ball. Dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the balls in a circle so that the dough is thinner towards the sides. Put a heaped teaspoon (20g) of the anko paste on each circle and close to form a ball.
Shape the ears from the small pieces and attach them to the balls. Then place the balls on a baking sheet, flatten them a little and decorate. I use raisins for the eyes, a chocolate chip for the nose and cherries for the cheeks. The decoration must be pressed relatively firmly into the dough so that it does not fall off during baking. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let rise again until it has increased significantly in volume (about half an hour).
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 170-180 ° C (depending on the oven). Brush the pikachus with the rest of the egg and sprinkle the ears with poppy seeds. Then bake for about 15 minutes. They are done when they are golden yellow.
Note:
The anko is available in the Asian shop. You can also make it yourself by boiling azuki beans (available in health food stores) until soft and sweetening them with lots of sugar. You can either use it directly or pass it through a sieve beforehand.