Bear Buns

Directions

1. 1
   Divide the tsubu-an into 10-12 g portions and roll into balls.
2. 2
   Put the ingredients in a bowl.
3. 3
   First add just 1 tablespoon of milk and mix, then check the consistency of the dough.
4. 4
   If it's dry, add a tiny bit more milk.
5. 5
   Knead the dough until it's shiny and doesn't stick to your hands.
6. 6
   Take 6 small bits of dough and roll them into balls to form the ears.
7. 7
   Divide the rest of the dough into 3 pieces.
8. 8
   Flatten one of the 3 pieces of dough on your hand, and put a piece of the tsubu-an on top.
9. 9
   Gather the dough around the tsubu-an ball.
10. 10
    Close up the dough and roll to form a ball.
11. 11
    Form the face into an oval and place on a piece of parchment paper.
12. 12
    Press the ears on the face ball.
13. 13
    Bake for 10 minutes at 320F/160 C.
14. 14
    Done!
15. 15
    Cool the buns on a rack.
16. 16
    Add a tiny bit of water to the powdered sugar to make stiff icing.
17. 17
    Draw faces on the buns using a toothpick.
18. 18
    It looks like this.
19. 19
    The bun is finished.
20. 20
    Please draw a face that you like.
21. 21
    I think you could make a panda, or a Hello Kitty.
22. 22
    I'll try it those out when I have time.
23. 23
    Put into a case made for Japanese sweets... it looks like something sold in a store!
24. 24
    If the buns harden the next day, microwave for 5 seconds and they'll become soft and fluffy again.