Sweet red bean and ricotta swirl rolls recipe

Ingredients

• 1 quantity of smooth sweet red bean paste or 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) canned, ready-made smooth red bean paste (known as anko or tsubu-an), available from Japanese grocers or online
• 9 oz (250 g) ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting
• 12 oz (350 g) all-butter block or ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 small egg
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp icing (confectioner’s) sugar, for dusting

• 9 oz/1½ cups (250 g) adzuki beans
• 9 oz/1 1/8 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
• generous pinch of fine sea salt

1. If using homemade sweet red bean paste, make this first. Soak the adzuki beans overnight in cold water to soften them, or if you would like to skip this step, just cook the beans for 10-15 minutes longer in the pressure cooker.
2. After soaking, drain the beans and rinse well under running water. Place the beans in a pressure cooker with five times the amount of fresh water to beans and cook for 20-25 minutes (or longer if you skipped the overnight soaking). If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook the beans in a pan for 1½-2 hours until soft. Once the beans are soft, drain them and rinse under cold, fresh water.
3. Transfer the cooked beans to a pan, add enough water to just cover them, and bring to the boil. Add the sugar, mixing well. Simmer on a low heat, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want a thick paste consistency in which the beans are half crushed. Add the salt and mix well.
4. Blitz the mixture while still hot in a food processor, then for a very smooth texture, pass through a fine sieve (strainer) into a clean bowl. Let the paste cool down completely. The paste is ready to be used, or will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and sugar together until well combined. On a well-floured surface, roll out the pastry to a rectangle about 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 inches). Working fast, with the back of a long knife, thinly spread the sweet red bean paste over the pastry followed by the sweetened ricotta cheese, making sure each goes to the edges. Each layer should be no more than about 3 mm (1/8 inch) in depth.
6. Roll the rectangle up from the longer side until it is the shape of a sausage. Transfer to a baking tray (sheet) lined with baking (parchment) paper and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or until completely firm.
7. On a board, and using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 2 cm (¾ inch) slices. Return the slices, flat-side down, to the baking tray (sheet) and press them down lightly so they spread out a little. Chill for a further 20 minutes.
8. Mix the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Brush the slices with the egg mixture, then sprinkle with caster (superfine) sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve warm or cold with a dusting of icing (confectioner's) sugar.