Imagawayaki (Obanyaki)

1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Make the Batter

1. In a large bowl, mix 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) and 2 Tbsp sugar.
2. Add 2 Tbsp honey and 1¼ cups whole milk and whisk it all together.
3. Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 2 tsp baking powder together. Then, add it to the egg mixture.
4. Mix until well combined and rest the batter for at least 15 minutes (to relax the gluten).

To Portion the Filling

1. Meanwhile, scoop 2 Tbsp (50 g) of the 14 oz sweet red bean paste (anko) and make it into a round disc that fits in the center of the pancake. Repeat to get 8 portions of anko filling.

To Cook the Imagawayaki (Obanyaki)

1. Slowly heat up an imagawayaki pan to 350ºF (175ºC) over low heat. If you use high heat, some parts will get hot and the heat will not even. Take your time to heat up the pan.
2. Dip a small piece of paper towel in 1 Tbsp neutral oil and grease the wells of the pan (mine has 4 wells). Then, use a clean paper towel to wipe off the excess oil; this is key for even color on the imagawayaki.
3. When the temperature reaches 350ºF (175ºC) over low heat, pour the batter into a liquid measuring cup for easy pouring. The batter makes about 2¼ cups.
4. To half (two, in my case) of the wells of the pan, add the batter halfway full and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add one portion of red bean paste to the middle of each cooking batter in the pan. Set a timer for 3 minutes. After 1 minute, pour batter into the empty wells about one-third full and cook for the remaining 2 minutes.
6. [Optional] If you‘d like to use custard cream filling instead of red bean paste, use an ice cream scooper to drop the custard in the middle of the batter in the pan.
7. Using a small metal spatula or skewer, pick up the two pancakes with the filling and place them filling side down on top of the pancakes without the filling.
8. [Optional] If you use custard cream for filling, you may want to add a few minutes of cooking time as the custard cream was probably chilled prior to use.
9. Press down gently and cook for 2 minutes. Loosen up the edges of the pancakes and remove them from the pan.
10. Let cool on a wire rack. Repeat this process until you’re done with the batter.

To Serve and Store

1. Serve immediately while it‘s hot/warm. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for a month. You can defrost overnight in the refrigerator or reheat the frozen piece in the microwave (reduce power so it won‘t explode). Then, bake at 350ºF (175ºC) in the toaster oven or oven until crispy outside.