These Matcha Pot de Crèmes with candied Adzuki beans are everything you will never need to know about Japanese desserts. Combing a decadent and not-too-sweet pudding with glazed Adzuki beans, which are very famous and popular in Japan and a final layer of whipped cream on top!

I make my own Adzuki bean jam at home, but for these delicately glazed babies to really take effect it took an overnight soaking and about 8 hours of low-heat cooking the next day. If you can’t afford that or you don’t have Adzuki beans, then you could attempt to do this with red kidney beans but the taste will not be the same, naturally. If you use canned red kidney beans then you won’t even need to cook them for longer than 5 or 10 minutes with the sugar and you’re ready!

Now let’s get started:

This recipe makes 4 servings

• For the candied beans:
  • 1 cup adzuki beans
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Pinch of salt

• For the matcha crème
  • 400 ml whole milk (425g)
  • 200 ml heavy whipping cream (220g)
  • 100 g sugar
  • 2 eggs (whole or 4 yolks instead)
  • 4 Tbsp corn starch (50g)
  • 2 Tbsp matcha powder
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

• For the whipped cream topping
  • 150 ml heavy whipping cream (170g)
  • 2 Tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • matcha powder for dusting & raspberries for garnish

First boil the Adzuki beans briefly and discard the water to get rid of the butter taste. Repeat this process twice. Then simmer on a very gentle heat until they get soft to the tooth. Then add the sugar gradually; about a third of the quantity every half an hour. Once you have added all the sugar , bring everything to a rolling boil and reduce the liquid to a syrup. I really don’t expect you to do all of this. But of you need help, contact me! 🙂

Now for the part that everyone can do:

• First put the milk and cream into a large pot and bring them to a quick boil. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• Whisk the matcha, salt and cornstarch together and make sure you have no clumps of matcha in your dry ingredients.
• Whisk the sugar and eggs until the sugar starts to dissolve.
• Gradually add the warm milk and cream mixture to the eggs and sugar while whisking. One ladle-full at at time. Half-way through adding the milk, add the dry ingredients and whisk well.
• Once you have added most of the milk, return the mixture to the pot and cook over a gentle heat while stirring constantly until it thickens.
• Add the vanilla and butter for a smooth finish and take the matcha crème off the heat.
• Divide into ramekins or small jars and refrigerate until set (2 hours).
• Whip the cream and powdered sugar until you end up with stiff peaks.
• Take out the pot de crèmes from the fridge and top with the cooled candied red beans and finally garnish with the whipped cream topping. Enjoy!