Japanese-American Pocky® Sticks

I have a lot of Japanese friends, and they all rave about Pocky®. One day I decided to try them, and they were good! Of course they bought theirs, and I wanted to make my own, so I had to look high and low until finally I created my own recipe. I flavored them with tahini and a little orange zest.

• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 14 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• ⅓ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup cake flour
• ½ orange, zested
• 5 teaspoons confectioners' sugar, sifted
• ⅓ cup lukewarm milk
• 7 teaspoons honey
• 5 teaspoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
• ⅓ cup lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, or more as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 3

Combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix together on low speed.

Step 4

Stir milk and yeast together in a small bowl. Mix honey and tahini together in a separate bowl. Add milk mixture and honey mixture to the flour mixture. Mix together on medium speed to form a dough. Add water, butter, and orange zest; continue mixing until dough is firm and elastic.

Step 5

Divide dough into 3 pieces and knead until smooth. Roll 1 piece into a rectangle that's about 6 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 1/4-inch strips using a sharp knife. Arrange strips 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Repeat with remaining 2 pieces of dough.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven, watching carefully, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.