anko moffles

Chances are, if you get excited like Christmas morning when you get a new kitchen gadget - you're a food nerd. That being said, I don't think I need to explain how happy I was when I found a brand new waffle iron (eh eh Justin?) waiting for me when I went back home this weekend. I was trying to figure out why mother bought a waffle iron seeing as she doesn't even like waffles. So what's the reason you ask? One of her friends made a waffle out of rice flour and she enjoyed it so much that she bought one on impulse. Heck, I'm not complaining. Maybe she'll buy an immersion circulator next? 

Now, this concept of making a waffle out of rice flour isn't a new concept - it's called a moffle. The exterior is crispy like a normal waffle but the inside is chewy like a mochi creating a really interesting texture. Most of the pictures I found online were white and anemic looking so I decided to add in red bean paste to create a taiyaki/mochi hybrid.

I was impressed with how it turned out: a crispy outside like a taiyaki/waffle and a sweet, chewy interior like a daifuku. I used roasted walnuts but I think chestnuts would work really well also. The waffles get slightly sweeter after they cool and it's important to let them cool separately. If you stack the waffles on top of each other, they tend to steam and get soggy ruining that great crunch. Feel free to experiment with the recipe and adjust sweetness to your preference.

Anko Moffles

Original, About 5 large waffles on a Belgian Iron

Ingredients:

- 1 box of Mochiko

- 1 can of red bean paste (see your local Asian grocery)

- 2 cups of milk

- 0.75 cup roasted walnuts, roughly crushed

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 0.5 teaspoon salt

- 0.25 teaspoon baking soda

- 0.25 cup sugar

- 1 tablespoon of honey

1) Crush your nuts - walnuts that is. You could chop them up but if you're lazy you want to be more efficient, place the walnuts in between a kitchen towel and bash them with a pan/pot until roughly crushed. See? No chopping, no dish-washing needed.

2) Roast the crushed walnuts in a dry pan until browned and toasted. You'll know when they're done. They'll give off a smoky, aromatic, nutty smell. Remove to a plate or tray to cool completely.

3) Plug in that sexy waffle iron and allow it to preheat. It'll roar when it's ready.

4) In a mixing bowl, add the milk, sugar and honey and whisk until the sugar completely dissolves.

5) Pour the red bean paste in the milk and stir gently (like you're folding in the last two-thirds of your egg whites) until incorporated. Take care not to break apart the adzuki beans. Set aside.

6) In a separate mixing bowl, combine the Mochiko, salt, baking soda, baking powder and set aside.

7) Add the Mochiko mixture slowly into the milk mixture folding gently as you go. When the rice flour is almost completely incorporated, toss in the roasted walnuts and fold until completely mixed. The mixture will be doughy but wet, not completely dry. See below for the picture.

8) Spray or brush the waffle iron with oil and scoop some of the moffle mixture onto the iron. Spread it out a little bit and cook until the machine says it's ready. I can adjust the temperature on my iron and I found the waffles best on medium-high heat. You may need to adjust accordingly with your waffle iron.

9) Eat immediately or allow to cool separately. What did I tell you about stacking the moffles?!