UKer needs help from the USA for a Japanese recipe

[laud_shy_girl]

I am in the UK and I am trying to perfect a Japanese recipe for melon pan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melonpan

The ones I have had, have a definite Maple syrup flavour. I have tried making the biscuit coating with strait maple syrup instead of sugar and while I can get them to set and they are very yummy they still lack that Maple flavour. can anyone recommend a good concentrate maple flavouring. I need to be able to order it from across the pond.

The Melon Pan that I had (and loved) were from a super market type shop called Kasumi, they had some of the topping in side and I have no idea what the actual flavouring is but Maple was the closest I could come. I am basically making the recipe up as I go trying to recreate it.

any suggestions would be really great and I [promise to share once I get the recipe right.

[Judah]

These sound really delicious!  I'd never heard of them before, so went on and internet hunt.  None of the recipes I found include any kind of maple flavoring at all, but some include things like melon essence, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon extract, or pineapple essence.  Have tried any of those?

[NyaChan]

You know, I don't remember those tasting like maple at all.  I got more of a vanilla/citrus flavor from them.  If you do want a maple syrup flavor though sometimes I feel like brown sugar is reminiscent of maple syrup, maybe that might give the deeper sweet flavor?

[Tai]

I've never tried that particular recipe, but I do have a source for maple extract!

Saffron.com sells maple extract, and, incidentally, chef quality vanilla beans.  For under $40, I got a pound of chef quality vanilla beans, some vanilla extract, and a 4 oz bottle of maple extract. 

[laud_shy_girl]

thank you.

The ones I am trying to recreate are only made by one shop. I like the other "flavours" too, it's just these go so well with a nice cup of tea. ( well that makes me sound very English) I'm actually working on a cook book (I'm sad) and eventually would like to work out a few variants of these. I think vanilla works particularly well.

[crella]

I have translated a recipe for you.

In Japan the flour is called ‘Kyouriki’ or ‘strong flour’ and Hakuriki or ‘weak flour’. Toast bread, swiss bread etc is make with 100% strong flour, and snack breads like melon pan are made with a mixture . When baking in the US, I use bread flour for the strong flour and all-purpose for the weak flour. Strong flour has 12% protein, weak has 8%. The crunchy upper layer is called 'cookie'.

All ingredients should be room temp.

Maple Melon Pan

Bread:

‘Strong flour‘                                   200g
‘Weak flour‘                                      50g
Baking powder                                  1/2 teaspoon
Sugar                                               25g
Salt                                                   4g
Skim Milk (powdered)                        10g
Margarine                                         25g
Warm water                                    140cc
Dry yeast                                             4g


Cookie layer:

Butter                                                 50g
Maple Syrup                                        50g
Egg                                                     30g
‘Weak flour‘                                       120g
Baking Powder                                     1/2 teaspoon
Skim milk                                            1 tablespoon


This recipe says you can mix the flour and baking powder together and then put in a home bakery using the dinner roll setting.

If you do it by hand, time-wise it will need a 25 minute first rising, then shaping it into 9-10 balls followed by 10 minutes bench time,then covering the dough with the cookie layer, followed by 20 minutes for the second rising in total. Cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel for rising and bench time.

During the first rising you make the Cookie layer, shape it into a cylinder or a pattie, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

After shaping ,when the bread dough is resting (10 minutes bench time) take the cookie layer out of the fridge, and cut in into rounds (or pie wedges if you’ve made it into a pattie) then quickly shape them into balls. On plastic wrap, flatten out the cookie layer ball, place a dough ball in the center and then use the wrap to bring the cookie layer up around the bread. If you don’t us wrap, you need to use a tool to get under the cookie layer to bring it up off the counter and around the bread. Roll in granulated sugar, score the tops and  let it rise (second rising) for 20 minutes. Bake at 180-200C (if your oven runs hot, the lower temp) for 12 minutes.

Here’s a video so you can see the steps. She’s making them with a green tea cookie layer, but the steps are the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OmW79fkXPs

[crella]

I just read that you'd tried syrup......how about substituting maple sugar for the sugar and using the maple syrup? All the Japanese recipes I read use syrup.

I found the shop, but they don't give out the recipe. I am making regular melon pan at cooking school next month. I'll ask my teacher if she knows any tricks to it.

[laud_shy_girl]

crella, thank you for the translation. I have been playing with a few variations and will definitely use yours.
Is maple sugar just dehydrated syrup? I don't think you can buy it here, same with  the favouring. It's why I will have to get it imported. anyone know a way to make the sugar? could I just 'very slowly' evaporate off the water from syrup?

Tai that looks perfect, only they will not deliver liquids to the UK    something to do with "overseas restrictions on the mail"

I may just have to go on holiday to the USA and get some that way. 

[kkl123]

Yes, maple sugar is, in essence, evaporated maple syrup. 

There are different grades of maple syrup... what I know as US grade A is a fairly light syrup with a much milder flavor compared to grade B syrup, which is the one typically used for baking.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_syrup http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/11/making-the-grade-why-the-cheapest-maple-syrup-tastes-best/239133/ If you used one of the fancy light syrups and the shop used grade B, that could be the difference right there.

Sorry, don't know where you can find grade B syrup in the UK.

[camlan]

Maple sugar is maple syrup that's had the water evaporated. It takes a lot of maple syrup to make a little maple sugar. Maple sugar candy is popular around here in the fall--it's just maple sugar pressed into cute shapes.

You can get maple syrup, maple sugar and dehydrated maple syrup (I have no idea how that differs from maple sugar) at the US Amazon site. They might be able to ship to the UK.

[crella]

Yes, as everyone has said, it's evaporated syrup. I found one place online in the UK that sells maple sugar...

http://www.specialityfoods.org.uk/section.php?xSec=6

[Carotte]

I've been trying to recreate a melonpan recipe too!
But from a regular combini melonpan, I had the look and texture perfect with my first batch, but not the taste.
One thing that can make a lot of diffence is the yeast, sadly finding japanese yeast ( in France, or I guess UK) is mission impossible, so I'll try and make do with lemon extract ( and I'll try with almond extract one of this days)

[laud_shy_girl]

I've been trying to recreate a melonpan recipe too!
But from a regular combini melonpan, I had the look and texture perfect with my first batch, but not the taste.
One thing that can make a lot of diffence is the yeast, sadly finding japanese yeast ( in France, or I guess UK) is mission impossible, so I'll try and make do with lemon extract ( and I'll try with almond extract one of this days)

I am going to use a small ball of marzipan and have it as a filling.

crella, that's a lot less expensive than me making the sugar my self so thank you for the link.

[crella]

You're welcome! The recipe I translated was off a popular Japanese recipe site, so I'm hoping it will taste authentic to you. I don't receive my printed recipe until I go to the class, and so had to look for one online.

Good luck!