Can you imagine a tofu birthday cake? Not a birthday cake with creamed tofu substituted for milk or something really odd like that. Just a large block of tofu decorated like a birthday cake. Still no? Well, that is what my friend had on her birthday this year. She likes tofu that much.

So, when I invited some friends over for Japanese food a few weeks back, I knew a tofu dish would lure her in. The only problem is how to get everyone else to eat the tofu. This sweet, salty, taste-bud surprising recipe came to the rescue. Now I refer to it as the “tofu for non-tofu eaters.”

Since these tofu popsicles are so adorable, I decided they were a good opportunity to try out my new camera. I have included pictures to help you along the way as your work through the recipe. Let me know if you like them!

Serves: 6
Prep time: 35 mins (15 mins active)
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

• red or white miso paste*
• sake or dry white wine
• dashi-kombu* (dried seaweed)
• 1 block of extra firm tofu
• mirin* (sweet Japanese cooking wine)**
• soy sauce**
• sugar

Note*: Available at Japanese grocers and the international aisle of large supermarkets.
Note**: If you don’t have mirin or soy sauce on hand, you can leave these out.

Method

1. Set your oven to broil and a pot filled with water and half a piece of dashi-kombu on the stove on high heat.
2. Place the tofu in a colander to drain.
3. In a small saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of sake or white wine.
4. As soon as the water with the dashi begins to boil, remove it from the stove and set aside.
5. When the wine begins to boil, add 1 tablespoon sugar and 3 tablespoons of miso paste.
6. Stir the miso mixture to combine and remove from heat.
7. Cut the tofu into block by first quarter it, and then cutting the quarters into thin strips, as shown.
8. Remove the dashi from the water and add one third cup each of soy sauce and mirin and bring the mixture to a boil. (If you don’t have mirin, just skip ahead and add the tofu blocks)
9. Lower the stock to a simmer for five minutes.
10. Add the tofu blocks and let the tofu simmer for ten minutes.
11. Cover a large baking sheet or broiler pan with tin foil and lightly the oil the surface.
12. Once the tofu is ready, take it out of the pot with a slotted spoon and place it on the pan.
13. Coat the tofu lightly with the miso glaze and pop the pan in the oven on the rack under the broiler.
14. Check on the tofu after two minutes. When it is browned and very slightly charred, take it out of the oven.
15. Pierce the thin end with a popsicle stick or a toothpick and arrange.

Enjoy!