Ningyo-Yaki Waffle Maker Recipe (Japanese Doll Cakes filled with Anko)

April 16, 2021Van

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 25

Ningyo-Yaki are small cakes in the shape of dolls filled with anko (sweet red bean paste) – they’re a popular treat at one of my favorite places in the world, Asakusa Tokyo. Typically, they are made with cast iron molds over a gas grill in various shapes such as cats, birds, lucky gods, and even Hello Kitty – they are very similar to taiyaki. You can use store-bought anko or I have a recipe to make it from scratch using an Instant Pot pressure cooker here.

This method is a simple way to enjoy these at home using an adorable animal-shaped waffle maker. These remind me of my favorite video game Animal Crossing – it’s the 20th anniversary of Animal Crossing & I’ve been playing since the very first version on GameCube, so I made these to celebrate 🎊 🎉🎈 The waffle maker comes in other cute shapes as well, see the various models at the bottom of the recipe.

Purchase this special “Animal Crossing” waffle maker here
Ningyo-Yaki Waffle Maker Recipe (Japanese Doll Cakes filled with Anko)

You can purchase pre-made Anko / Sweet Red Bean Paste at any Asian market, or you can make it from scratch using my Instant Pot Recipe Ningyo-Yaki Waffle Maker Recipe (Japanese Doll Cakes filled with Anko)

Ningyo-Yaki Waffle Maker Recipe (Japanese Doll Cakes filled with Anko)

I spot Tom Nook, Goldie, Kiki & Marty (Jingle got shafted in this pic)
Ningyo-Yaki Waffle Maker Recipe (Japanese Doll Cakes filled with Anko)

😹 Taking sweet revenge on Tom Nook for all the bells 💰 he made me pay ⛺️🏠🏘 and what’s up with making me pay 500k upfront for the storage upgrade??! So I already payed 5.7mil bells for the house upgrades and he thinks my credit isn’t good enough to make the payments on the last upgrade?!
Ningyo-Yaki Waffle Maker Recipe (Japanese Doll Cakes filled with Anko)

Ningyo-Yaki Waffle Maker Recipe (Japanese Doll Cakes filled with Anko)

April 16, 2021 Van

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 25

www.foodisafourletterword.com

Ingredients

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Large Egg
¾ Cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Neutral Tasting Oil
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
⅛ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
½ Cup Anko / Sweet Red Bean Paste, Instant Pot Recipe
Animal-shaped Waffle Maker

Method

1)
In a bowl, add 1 Cup All Purpose Flour, 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder, ⅛ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt and stir well with a whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, add 1 Large Egg, 2 Tablespoons Honey, ¾ Cups Milk, 2 Tablespoons Oil & whisk well until the egg is combined – add this to the flour mixture & stir just until it’s combined.
2)
Pre-heat the waffle maker. Fill the waffle mold about ⅓ full, add a dollop of anko, then add more batter to cover the anko and fill the mold. If you’re using the same type of waffle maker I have, cook for about 3-4 minutes. When they are done, place them onto a rack. They are slightly crispy on the outside & soft on the inside when you enjoy them right away. When they cool, the texture becomes soft. Enjoy!