This dessert came about because I had a bag of frozen edamame, and another bag of mugwort powder, and I wanted to use them both. That and with St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, I wanted to do a green dessert that was not just lime, matcha, or pandan. Mugwort, also called yomogi in Japanese, is a very popular ingredient in both Korean and Japanese desserts. It is this mildly herbaceous leaf with medicinal notes, but it takes well to being paired with sugar and nutty things because of that! I wanted to pair that with edamame, or soybeans, for that very reason. Edamame have this inoffensively mild and nutty flavor, so it works as a nice canvas or background ingredient to the mugwort itself. When I was thinking of what kind of dessert I wanted to make, it was going to be a plated one, and I wanted it to resemble an edamame pot in a way. So I figured, something green, spherical, could be plated in sets of 2 or 3, and has some sort of peel on top that cradles away the dessert. Tuiles made sense to act as that peel, while for the actual round portions, I figured a jelly or panna cotta would take the shape the best. Then I thought about mizu mochi, or the raindrop cakes. Normally made with water, these jellies are basically water, sugar, and agar, set into mini dome shapes, and are usually served with kinako(toasted soybean powder) and kuromitsu(black sugar syrup). Right away, between the kinako being a soy product, and me using edamame already, this dessert was slowly starting to come together.

For the components, we have edamame-mugwort jellies, mugwort tuiles, kinako microwave cake, soybean “snow”, and kuromitsu. The edamame-mugwort jellies act as both a creamy texture, but the core of the dessert, having this pleasant mugwort flavor, and being a love child between a raindrop cake and a panna cotta. The jelly is set with agar, like a raindrop cake, but attains this creamy, milky consistency from blending edamame with soybean milk. The tuiles are dyed green using the mugwort powder and add a nice textural crunch to contrast the otherwise soft components in this dessert. The kinako microwave cake is my homage to the kinako powder that is served with a raindrop cake traditionally, but I chose to do a cake to add more body to the dessert, while also doing a microwave cake specifically for how light and airy they are. The soybean snow is made using soybean oil and maltodextrin, to act as another homage to the kinako powder, albeit milder in flavor, and to give the edamame this crisp, chilled by the snow look. Visually, I want this dessert to reminiscent of the winter melting away to the spring, since that’s what the month of March basically is! The kuromitsu is a dark sugar syrup, made with black rock sugar and water. It adds sweetness to the dessert, which is something I accounted for by lessening the sugar content across the board in the other components. I wanted to include the kuromitsu so that a. the dessert doesn’t eat too dry, and b. it is another callback/homage to what you would be traditionally served with a raindrop cake!

For the edamame-mugwort jellies:
2oz soybean milk
.5oz granulated sugar
1 tsp agar agar
a pinch of salt
2oz blanched and shocked edamame
2g mugwort powder

Heat up the soybean milk, sugar, agar, and salt in a pot on low heat until everything is dissolved. In a blender, puree everything together until combined. Pass the liquid through a sieve to remove any chunks or solids. Pour the strained liquid into silicone 2-inch half sphere molds and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes.

For the mugwort tuiles:
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp egg white powder
1 tbsp cold water
.25oz soybean oil
1g mugwort powder
1 tbsp granulated sugar
a pinch of salt

Mix ingredients in a bowl until combined to form your batter. Spread the batter on a Pavoni leaf tuile mold and bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. While the tuiles are still warm, press them onto a rolling pin or wine bottle to help them form a curly shape as they cool. Store in an airtight container until time to plate.

For the kinako micro-cake:
1 egg white
2 tbsp granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp kinako powder
.25oz soybean oil
3 tbsp all-purpose flour

In a bowl, whip the egg white with sugar, salt, and vanilla to stiff peaks. In another bowl, mix together the kinako powder and oil first. Sift into that the flour, and then fold together those ingredients with the whipped egg white to form your batter. Spray the insides of 3 heatproof, microwave-safe paper cups with cooking spray, and poke 2 holes into the bottom of each cup using a knife. Divide the batter between the three cups and microwave them for 75 seconds. Allow the cups to cool upside down before tearing the paper open and removing the cakes. Tear the cakes into smaller pieces for garnish, and then store in an airtight container until time to use.

For the soybean “snow”:
1g soybean oil
1/4 cup tapioca maltodextrin
a pinch of salt

In a bowl, mix the ingredients together to form a powder.

For the kuromitsu:
1/4 cup water
1oz dark brown rock sugar(muscavado or Okinawan black sugar are preferred, but piloncillo or jaggery work too!)
a pinch of salt

In a pot, bring all of your ingredients to a simmer on low heat until the sugar is dissolved fully into the liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil and then allow the resulting syrup to cool down before using.

To plate:
Place down 3 pieces of the jelly first, and then pour on the kuromitsu. Garnish the top of the dessert with pieces of the cake, the soybean snow, and the tuiles to finish.