Baymax Matcha Pudding,

Hello from across the causeway! We always spend our Chinese New Year here. I'm just lazing around while my boys play with their games and cousins. Since I'm rather free now, here's another long overdue recipe I've been meaning to update.


This is matcha pudding at the bottom, with Baymax made of Shiratama on top. Shiratama is the Japanese version of our Chinese Tang Yuan (glutinous rice balls). They are quite similar, so if you like, you can substitute with Tang Yuan recipe.


The grade of matcha powder you use does affect the taste of the pudding. You don't need the highest grade but it's recommended to get a slightly better grade one.


Shiratama goes well with the pudding but these matcha puddings taste great on their own too. The pudding takes server all hours to chill, so I suggest you make the pudding a day in advance.


Since Baymax is white, I did not have to color the shiratama. But if you are making other characters, you can color the shiratama using food colouring and also ingredients like matcha, cocoa powder, sesame paste, etc.


SHIRATAMA RECIPE

Ingredients:

Matcha pudding:
11/2 tbsp matcha powder
1 gelatin sheets
3 tbsp hot water
300 ml milk
31/2 tbsp sugar

Shiratama Baymax:
60g of Shiratama Flour
62g to 69g of Silken Tofu
Black food marker

Method:

1. To make matcha pudding, sift matcha powder into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Add 3 tbsp water to gelatine sheets.

3. Melt gelatine sheets over a water bath. Once dissolved, remove from heat and set aside. 

4. Pour milk into a saucepan and bring to almost boiling. Off heat, once small bubbles are seen. Add in sugar and whisk till sugar are dissolved.

5. Add 2 tbsp of milk to matcha powder from step 1. Whisk well till there are no lumps.

6. Add in the rest of the milk and gelatin, mix well.

7. Pour into ramekin or bowls and chill several hours in the fridge till the pudding has set.

8. To make shiratama, mix 62g of tofu with shiratama flour, use your hands to knead.
9. Knead till a smooth dough is formed.If the mixture is too dry, add a little silken tofu till the dough is just right.

10. Mould out Baymax using your hands.

11. Use food marker to draw on their features. Alternatively, you can also take a little dough and mix with black food colouring or charcoal powder, and use that to mould out the features instead. Cook them in boiling water till they floats. Remove and place them in cold water.

12. Sift matcha powder over pudding and place on Baymax before serving.