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Happy New Year 2016!
明けましておめでとうございます!
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Kuri Kinton 栗金飩 is one of the items of osechi-ryōri, traditional Japanese New Year/oshougatsu foods. It is a sweetened and mashed Japanese sweet potato with sweet chestnuts. The characters for kinton literally mean ‘group of gold’, so with the golden color of this sweet, it represents a wish for wealth and financial success. However, it is more interpreted as meaning for a life without suffering from lack of food in the New Year. Many osechi food has rich soy sauce taste, so this sweet taste is a palate refresher. Also, the bright, yellow color brightens up the table. Not only is kuri kinton enjoyed at the New Year table, but also enjoyed as an everyday sweet snack. This recipe has a twist to the mashed/paste form traditionally served. Nontraditional ingredients have been added to make it more like petite cakes in flower shape.
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Kuri Kinton • 栗きんとん • Sweet Potato and Chestnut Cakes
Recipe by: Fae’s Twist & Tango (fae-magazine.com), inspired by Chef T. Saito
INGREDIENTS
• 400 g sweet potato
• 60 g/ 6 chestnuts in syrup -plus- 50 ml syrup from bottled chestnuts
• smidgen ground saffron dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water**
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 large egg yolk
• 30 ml heavy whipping cream
• strawberry jam or any red jam for accent
** Traditionally, gardenia fruit/kuchinashi is used for yellow hue. It is sold in dry form in Japan. It’s been used for natural coloring for a long time. It has a pigment that is similar to saffron and imparts safe, natural color. If gardenia fruit is used, it is added at the time sweet potato is being boiled.
DIRECTIONS
◊ Peel the sweet potato and cut it into slices about 2 cm thick. Soak in cold water for 15 minutes and drain.
◊ Cut the chestnuts into small pieces, size of large peas.
◊ Place the sweet potato slices in a non-stick saucepan and barely cover with water. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft and drain. Saucepan will be used again.
◊ Mash the cooked sweet potato while still hot with a wooden spoon through a sieve/strainer to make it smooth.
◊ In the same saucepan, add sugar and 2 Tbsp water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add the dissolved saffron and the chestnut syrup and mix. Add mashed sweet potato and mix. Add the egg yolk and mix vigorously for a minute to combine well. Turn on the heat to medium to medium-low heat and continue to mix vigorously for 5 minutes, so the egg yolk will not coagulate.
◊ Add the cream and continue mixing together for an additional 3 minutes or until the moisture evaporates and paste separates from the saucepan and is thick and sticks to the wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Add the chestnut pieces and gently mix in.
◊ Empty the mixture onto a large dish. Spread and flatten into a 20cm x 20cm square . Cut into 16 segments. Take a segment and place it in the center of a sheet of approximately 30cm x 30cm plastic wrap. Bring the edges together and twist to create a ‘purse’ shape. While holding the twist, with index finger, press a dent in the center of the ball (as seen in the photo). Open the plastic and gently take out the cake and place it on a plate.
◊ Using two chopsticks, place a tiny drop of jam in the center of each cake. Decorate them in an attractive serving bowl/plate to serve.
◊ Traditionally, osechi is decorated with nandina leaf stem and/or chloranthys glaber stem.
~ どうぞめしあがれ • Douzo Meshiagare ~
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Happy New Year, Fae. These are beautiful and symbolic like all of your wonderful cooking. I hope you have a wonderful year and keep bringing us these wonderful delights from around the world. Xo
Sweet Amanda, You are so cute. I enjoy your visits and thank you very much for the kind words. I wish you and your loved ones Happy New Year 2016 too! <3
They are just beautiful, Fae! Happy New Year to you, and all the best for 2016!
Thank you, Julianna. Happy New Year to you too. 🙂
These are such pretty treats to set out for New Years’ nibbling, Fae. I so enjoy coming to your site. I never know what to expect and you’ve introduced me to many interesting and tempting dishes. Invitations to your dinner parties must be highly sought after.
Wishing you, Fae, and yours every happiness in the New Year.
You are too kind with your words, John. It makes me very happy to know readers enjoy my choice of posts and enjoy learning new things as much as I do when I visit other blogs, especially the ones like yours. 🙂
These cakes are so pretty and perfect for the new year! 🙂
Aren’t they, Nancy! We really enjoyed looking at them and eating them too. 😀 )))
Beautiful recipe Fae and a very Happy New Year to you!! Those little cakes are so delicate and so lovely. You always amaze me with your culinary range.
Thank you, Suzanne. I always wanted to make them. I found out how easy they were to make, and such a delight. Happy New Year to you too! 🙂
What pretty little cakes. I like that they represent a life without suffering from lack of food in the New Year. Thankfully I’ve never known that experience but it is terrible that so many in our world have. Wishing you all the best in this new year, Fae.
Thank you Karen, and yes how true. Every year we pray for peace and happiness of the world, and yet we have a long way to go. Happy New Year to you too, dear Karen. 🙂
How pretty – you do have a way of making every recipe look so appetizing that I wish I had one or two to taste. Happy New Year Fae and the Best in 2016!
Thank you, Judi. Aren’t they pretty! Happy New Year to you too! 🙂
Such an exquisite recipe! Thanks for sharing. A beautiful beginning of a new year!
Don’t you think so! 🙂
Happy New Year to you! This looks absolutely yummy and very appealing to the eye. 🙂
Thank you, Dee Marie. They were really a hit. Happy New Year 2016 to you too! 🙂
Your little cakes look gorgeous, I wish I could have some right now. Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year!
Thank you, Gerlinde, and they are so~ good. I wish I was able to deliver some to you. Happy New Year 2016 to you too! 🙂
What a wonderful recipe Faye!!
You always have the most unique recipes from around the world. I also wanted to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR! I always look forward to your blog posts Faye, keep it up! (now if I can only get to being as proactive as you on my blog) things are getting much better and I am looking forward to posting regularly on my blog again!
Happy New Year to you too, dear Mitchell. Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad to hear that things are getting much better for you. Looking forward to reading your new posts of 2016! 🙂
Wow! Something so different ? They look really interesting.
Happy New Year, lovely Fae, best wishes for a great year xx
Thank you, Elaine. I wish you and yours Happy New Year 2016 too! <3
They are very pretty! Happy New Year! Have a fabulous 2016!
Thank you, Deniela. Happy New Year 2016 to you too! 🙂