[For Seniors] April Snack Activity: Ideas to Enjoy Spring with Homemade Sweets

tricolor dango

Perfect for cherry-blossom viewing ♡ Sanshoku Dango [Wagashi] [Japanese Sweets Recipe] [Japanese sweets]

Also known as hanami dango and cherished as a good-luck confection, three-colored dango are a spring-themed classic.

Let’s include this staple treat in your April snack activity.

First, add water to a mixture of joshinko (non-glutinous rice flour) and granulated sugar.

Heat it in the microwave, then mix well.

Next, divide the dough into three equal portions, brush with temitsu (a syrup made by heating sugar and water), and cut each into four pieces.

Add food coloring, steam in a steamer, then skewer the pieces on bamboo sticks.

Add cherry blossoms or leaves, and you’ll have a sweet that captures the cheerful feel of spring.

Try making these wagashi that are perfect for sharing stories—like the origin of three-colored dango—and reminiscing about spring.

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mutō

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Strawberry Mille-Feuille

[No Oven!] Easy Strawberry Millefeuille with Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets 🍓 Perfect for Valentine’s Day, White Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Christmas, and Mother’s Day 🌷 | Strawberry Millefeuille

When it comes to spring fruits, strawberries are definitely one of them.

These days you can even find them at supermarkets in winter, but strawberries are said to be at their best from April to June.

Here’s a recipe for a strawberry mille-feuille made with delicious strawberries in May.

Mille-feuille usually uses puff pastry, but we’ll cook it in a frying pan instead of using a toaster oven or oven.

For older adults who enjoy kitchen work, frying-pan cooking can be a lot of fun.

Layer cream and strawberries between the baked pastry.

Chill until set, slice, and enjoy.

Its store-bought cake appearance and delicious taste are sure to please older adults as well.

matcha cake

Matcha Cake in a Rice Cooker: Just add the ingredients and press start! Incredibly fluffy.

May is when tea leaf picking is in full swing.

How about making a matcha cake as a tea-themed snack activity? Believe it or not, this recipe can be made in a rice cooker! The key is to use pancake mix, which makes snacks easy to prepare.

Simply mix pancake mix, milk, eggs, and matcha powder, pour the batter into the rice cooker, and cook on the cake mode.

If your rice cooker doesn’t have a cake mode, use the regular white rice setting.

The striking look when you take it out of the rice cooker is fun too, so older adults are sure to enjoy it!

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miyabi

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Strawberry omelette

How to Make Strawberry Omelette: Convenience Store-Style Sweets! Loaded with Whipped Cream & Strawberry Custard Cream ♪ Tips for Perfectly Cooking the Batter ♪ - How to Make Strawberry Omelet [Culinary Researcher Yukari]

An omelette made by baking a spread sponge cake batter and adding whipped cream and fruit.

Let’s make a seasonal spring treat—strawberry omelettes—an arrangement of a classic French dessert! First, mix mashed strawberries (using a masher), milk, and sugar.

Next, add pancake mix, heat the mixture, then stir well and chill it in the refrigerator.

Then, mix sugar and eggs, add pancake mix, and cook pancakes.

Once the pancakes are done, top them with the chilled cream and fruit, and it’s ready.

Why not include this fun-to-make, fun-to-eat sweet in an afternoon snack activity for older adults?

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mutō

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Cooking with fruit

[Senior Recreation] Rec Craftsman Series Part 213: Fresh Fruit Spring Rolls

How about trying a simple dish using fruit? In this video, we introduce Fruit Spring Rolls made with fruit, sweet red bean paste (anko), and Vietnamese rice paper.

Since many people have allergies these days, no eggs, dairy, or wheat are used here.

It’s really easy, so everyone—from small children to older adults—can enjoy making them together.

Using a variety of colorful fruits makes them look festive!

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utatane

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Kinako sticks-style with 3 ingredients

Kinako sticks-style with 3 ingredients

Here’s a simple, three-ingredient kinako-stick style recipe.

Prepare a bowl, water, sugar, kinako (roasted soybean flour), plastic wrap, and chopsticks.

Put the water and sugar in the bowl, stir, and microwave at 600W for 2 minutes to thicken slightly.

Mix in the kinako thoroughly.

Once the dough comes together, transfer it onto plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm.

Take out the chilled dough, shape it into easy-to-eat sticks, and it’s done.

Topping with extra kinako or inserting toothpicks for easier eating is also recommended.

The aroma of kinako and the nostalgic flavor might make your activity time even more fun!

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mayumi

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Amazake Soy Milk Pudding

[Only 3 Ingredients] How to Make Soy Milk Pudding with Koji Amazake | Marukome

Let’s try making a very healthy amazake soy milk pudding by mixing soy milk into amazake! First, bloom the gelatin in water.

Meanwhile, add the amazake and soy milk to a saucepan and heat; when it starts to gently simmer, turn off the heat and mix in the gelatin.

Then pour it into cups, let it cool to room temperature, and chill in the refrigerator for about 1–2 hours to set.

If you use rice-koji amazake, it contains no alcohol, so even older adults can enjoy it safely.

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SAKI

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