Ice Cream Dorayaki

A beloved Japanese sweet. So easily made at home.  Dorayaki is a Japanese style pancake, much like its American counterpart, but slightly more dense,  sweeter and stickier, thanks to the honey added to the batter.  It also creates a deep, even caramel color when cooked.  Sandwiched between two pancakes is traditionally sweet red bean paste, known as anko paste.  Though as it has been unseasonably hot in Vancouver, what better way to cool it down than with a little ice cream added to this yummy dorayaki?

I've recently stumbled upon a Japanese cooking blog, japanesecooking101.com, and have since been inspired to make everything matcha, black sesame, or red bean.  This is one of their recipes!  The batter couldn't be easier to get together: combine dry indredients, combine wet ingredients, mix together.  That's it!

Ice Cream Dorayaki
~makes 10 sandwiches

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup red bean paste
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream


Sift together the flour and baking soda in a small bowl.  In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, honey and milk.

Add dry ingredient into egg mixture, whisk until smooth with no clumps.

Heat a non-stick frying pan at medium-low heat.  Measure 1/8 cup of batter, carefully pour into pan.  Cook until bubbles rise and burst, about 2 minutes.  You will know it is time to flip when the surface of the pancake is slightly matte.  Flip over and cook other side for 1 minute.  One side will be more evenly caramelized than the other.  This is normal.

Continue cooking until all the batter is used up.  Cool pancakes on a wire rack.

Prepare small sheet of plastic wrap, enough to wrap a finished dorayaki.  For 10 sandwiches, you will need 10 sheet of wrap.  Pair up similar sized pancakes, smooth side down.

Divide the red bean paste amongst all the pancakes.

Spoon a small scoop of ice cream on top of the red bean paste.

Cover with other half and quickly wrap up with the plastic wrap, taking care not to squeeze out any of the fillings.

Freeze for 1 hour.   Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving, to allow the filling to soften up slightly.

Enjoy!