Description
Homemade Pocky are delicate, crunchy biscuit sticks coated with rich bittersweet chocolate, offering a delightful snack reminiscent of the popular Japanese treat. This recipe guides you through creating the buttery biscuit sticks from scratch and then dipping them in smooth melted chocolate for a perfect balance of texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons water, at room temperature
Chocolate Coating
- 9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Batter: Preheat your oven to 300° F (150° C). In a large bowl, cream together the unsalted butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth. Then add the egg and your choice of almond extract or vanilla extract, stirring to combine thoroughly. Gradually add the bread flour, baking powder, and kosher salt, stirring to incorporate all dry ingredients evenly. Finally, mix in the water until the batter is smooth and cohesive.
- Pipe and Bake the Sticks: Transfer the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a #7 plain round (3/8-inch) pastry tip. On two parchment-lined baking sheets, pipe the batter into straight lines about 6 inches long and spaced at least 1/2 inch apart to prevent sticking. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until the sticks are set and lightly golden, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time for even cooking. Allow the sticks to cool on the baking sheets placed on cooling racks for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat this piping and baking process with any remaining batter. Save the used parchment-lined sheets for the chocolate dipping step.
- Melt Chocolate and Dip Sticks: Melt the bittersweet or semisweet chocolate in the microwave using a 2-cup glass measuring cup or another microwave-safe narrow vessel. Heat the chocolate in 15-second increments, stirring after each interval until smooth and fully melted. One by one, carefully dip each biscuit stick into the melted chocolate, tipping the cup on its side to allow the chocolate to cover the stick higher. Shake off any excess chocolate gently and lay each coated stick onto the prepared parchment-lined sheets. Place these trays in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to set firmly.
- Store and Serve: Once the chocolate has hardened, store the homemade Pocky sticks in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer to maintain their crispness and freshness. For chocolate that stays hard at room temperature, consider tempering the chocolate prior to dipping, using detailed tempering instructions provided in specialized recipes.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is at room temperature to facilitate smooth mixing.
- Maintain spacing between piped sticks to avoid them merging during baking.
- Handle the baked sticks gently during dipping as they are delicate and can break easily.
- Chocolate can be tempered for a glossier, room temperature set finish. Refer to tempering guides if desired.
- Store Pocky in airtight containers to preserve texture; refrigeration is recommended.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese-inspired
Keywords: homemade pocky, biscuit sticks, chocolate coated snack, Japanese treat, crunchy chocolate sticks
