Chocolate melon pan is a unique dessert from Japan that is all about the chocolate! They are basically chocolate buns that are covered in a chocolate cookie dough which forms a hard coating for the soft bun interior. They also have a luscious chocolate custard on the inside.
To make the chocolate melon pan, you make a simple chocolate custard by mixing melted chocolate with custard and maple syrup, and refrigerating it until it is set. Then, you make a chocolate bread dough with flour, cocoa, yeast, sugar, milk, salt, and butter, and allow it to rise for an hour. Next, the dough gets shaped into balls that are stuffed with the custard before being enrobed in a chocolate cookie dough, coated in sugar, and baked in the oven. You will love the combination of textures and the deep chocolate flavor of these desserts.
What is Chocolate Melon Pan?
Chocolate melon pan is a type of Japanese sweet bun involving chocolate bread dough, a chocolate cookie crust, and a chocolate filling. The reason for its name is that it is supposed to look similar to a melon. By coating them in sugar and scouring the cookie dough, the coating will have a cracked appearance that is similar to a melon.
Pro Tips
- Make sure the yeast is very fresh before you start making this recipe to ensure that the chocolate dough rises sufficiently.
- When you knead the dough, you will know you have kneaded it enough when it is smooth and elastic.
- For easier preparation, consider mixing the dough in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment rather than kneading it by hand.
- To ensure that the buns are even sizes, you can use a scale to weigh the portions of dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it Called Melon Pan?
This dessert is called melon pan because the cross-hatch design on them is similar to some types of melons like cantaloupe.
Why is Melon Pan So Good?
Its combination of textures, including a fluffy bread interior and crisp cookie exterior, is what makes melon pan so delicious and enjoyable to eat.
Are There Other Types of Melon Pan?
Yes, often melon pan uses a plain dough rather than a chocolate one. However, there are variations with some people adding melon flavoring to it. Some versions will be cut in half and stuffed with ice cream as well.
How to Store Chocolate Melon Pan
Leftover chocolate melon pan can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days.
Ingredients
How to Make Chocolate Melon Pan
For the chocolate custard, in a bowl, stir the melted chocolate with the custard, and maple syrup until smooth. Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight.
For the chocolate custard, in a bowl, stir the melted chocolate with the custard, and maple syrup until smooth. Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Roll each portion of cookie dough out between sheets of parchment paper until they are large enough to wrap around the bread dough balls.
For the bread dough, in a bowl, stir the flour with the yeast, sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and salt until combined. Add the butter and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Cover it and set it aside to rise for 1 hour.
Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!
For the cookie dough, in a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until creamy. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and milk, and mix until combined.
Divide the dough into 10 balls, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate them for 30 minutes.
To assemble the chocolate melon pan, divide the bread dough into 10 portions and shape them into balls.
Flatten a ball with your hand, fill it with 1 tbsp of the custard, and gather up the sides around the custard to enclose. Repeat with the remaining bread dough and custard.
Roll each portion of cookie dough out between sheets of parchment paper until they are large enough to wrap around the bread dough balls.
Wrap cookie dough around each ball.
Roll the balls in sugar and score them with a criss-cross pattern. Place them in muffin cups and bake them in a 360 F (180 C) oven for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!
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