I absolutely adore candy, and there’s truly nothing better than gorging yourself on a big bowl of juicy sweets. But I don’t think I knew just how delicious and addictive candy could be, that was until I tried Bontan Ame for the first time.
Bontan Ame is a soft citrus-flavored candy that is made on the island of Japan – where it remains a popular favorite among the local people.
Not only is this candy bursting with flavor, but it is also made using a variety of traditional Japanese ingredients. Because I love this candy so much, I made it my mission to find a recipe so that I could make it from scratch.
However, locating a recipe proved trickier than I expected, but I eventually found one that makes the perfect Botan rice candy.
Down below I have outlined the simple ingredients you will need to make this delicious candy, and the process you will need to follow to ensure a stellar result. So why not take a look and see if this candy is making its way into your bowl.
Ingredients:
- Mochiko (Glutinous Rice Flour) (16 ounces)
- Canned Coconut Milk (12 ounces)
- Granulated Sugar (2 ½ cups)
- Water (1 ¾ cups)
- Katakuriko (Potato Starch)
Step One: Make The Batter
I understand that making Japanese recipes can be very difficult when you live in a Western country where Asian ingredients are hard to find.
Luckily, this particular recipe only calls for two obscure ingredients that you can either purchase online through sites like Amazon, or from your local Asian grocery store.
The ingredients I am referring to are the Mochiko, a glutinous rice flour and the Katakuriko, which is a variety of potato starch.
When searching for these ingredients, I would personally recommend taking a trip to an Asian market, as the ingredients will probably be cheaper and in fresh condition.
When you have all the correct ingredients, you can begin making your rice candy. To begin making the candy batter, you will need to sift the glutinous rice flour into a large mixing bowl.
Once you have accomplished this, whisk the Mochiko with 2 ½ cups of sugar, 12 ounces of coconut milk and 1 ¾ cups of water.
Once the ingredients have been fully combined, they should come together to create a thick and workable opaque batter. During this part of the process, some people choose to add food coloring to give the batter a vibrant appearance.
However, it is not necessary and can be skipped if you wish to keep the batter plain.
Step Two: Bake The Batter
The next step in making your own Botan rice candy involves baking your finished batter in the oven. For this step of the process, you will need to preheat your oven to 162 degrees C (325 F).
While your oven begins to warm up, line a baking tray with a large piece of foil and then spray down the foil with cooking spray.
This is a very important step in making your rice candy, as the batter could stick to the baking tray if it has not been well oiled. Believe me, trying to peel your candy batter away from a dry baking tray is not an easy or enthusiastic task.
So always make sure you have sprayed your tray and foil before placing the batter on top of it.
When you have evenly coated the baking tray and foil with cooking oil, take your bowl of candy batter and pour it onto the tray. Spread the batter until it sits in an even layer and then place another piece of cooking-oil coated foil on top.
Once you have done this, you can transfer the baking tray to the oven, where it should sit on the middle shelf for an hour.
Step Three: Dust The Candy
The next step is arguably the easiest part of the whole process, and maybe even the most fun. When the candy batter has cooked in the oven for an hour, remove the baking tray from the oven and place it on a flat surface or kitchen counter.
Once you have done this, you must allow the candy to cool down – this process can usually take only one hour.
When the candy batter has cooled down and you can touch it with your fingers, you can then slowly peel off the top layer of foil. After you have done this, you will need to begin dusting the candy with your potato starch.
If you were unable to find or purchase Katakuriko potato starch, then you can use cornstarch as an alternative.
Once you have removed the top layer of foil and dusted the batter, remove it from the tray and place it on a flat surface dusted with potato starch. I advise placing the candy upside down on the surface, as this will help you to remove the bottom layer of foil.
When you begin to peel back the last piece of foil, make sure you are removing it in a slow and gentle manner. The foil could be stuck to the bottom of the candy and ripping it away could damage the final product.
Step Four: Cut The Candy
When you have finished removing the foil, you will need to dust the candy in more potato starch before you can approach cutting it. Once the candy has been well dusted, take a large kitchen large and cut away any hard or rough edges.
Then take your knife and begin cutting the rice candy into long strips, before cutting them down into small cubes.
After you have fully diced the candy, place the cubes into a small bowl with the remaining potato starch and toss them until each cube is equally covered. Transfer the dusted cubes to a sieve and then shake off any excess starch.
Remove the finished candy cubes from the sieve and place them in a bowl or on a plate – then serve the candy up and enjoy! Slowly and gently
