There’s never been a better time to learn how to make one.
Being stuck at home these days, it’s certainly easy to fall into a rut. Everyone’s been finding their own ways of coping, but it certainly helps when you’re an ingenious artist and craftsman of culinary curiosities like Twitter user Takahiro Shibata (@iine_piroshiki).
According to his tweet on 18 April, Shibata’s sister said she “wanted to eat something exciting.” So, he made a cookie in the shape of a gigantic sunflower seed and she readily acknowledged that “this is exciting.”
▼ “The outer shell is cookie. The seed is chocolate. It’s an advanced fortune cookie.”
妹から「テンションが上がるおやつが食べたい。」とお願いされたので、「人間サイズのひまわりの種」を作ったら、「テンションあがった。」と言われた。
— しばたたかひろ|takahiro SHIBATA (@iine_piroshiki) April 17, 2020
外の殻はクッキー。
中の種はチョコレート。
進化したフォーチュンクッキー。 pic.twitter.com/9HThPLECy8
If you’re like me and enjoy both sunflower seeds and cookies, this unexpected fusion looks amazingly appetizing. Unfortunately, since it’s not sold in any stores, we’ll need the skills of Shibata to pull it off. But as luck would have it, he gave us a fighting chance and also tweeted instructions.
・How to make sunflower seed cookies
1 – Use modeling clay to make prototypes for the shell and seed.
2 – Use food grade silicone to make the two double-sided molds.
3 – Lightly coat the mold in fortune cookie dough and bake in a 200℃ (392℉) oven for 10 minutes
4 – Add another 5-mm (0.2 inch) layer of dough and bake for 13 minutes.
作り方です。
— しばたたかひろ|takahiro SHIBATA (@iine_piroshiki) April 17, 2020
①粘土を使って、殻と種の原型を作ります。
②食品用シリコンをつかって、ふたつの型を両面取りします。
③殻の型にフォーチュンクッキーの生地を薄く塗り200度のオーブンで10分焼きます。
④さらに5mm厚のクッキー生地を重ねて、13分焼きます。 pic.twitter.com/950XURzsBG
5 – Pour chocolate into the seed mold and chill in the fridge.
6 – Remove excess pieces from the shells and use chocolate to “glue” them together with the chocolate seed inside.
7 – Mix melted dark chocolate with salad oil and use it to paint the markings on the shell.
8 – And that’s it!
⑤種の型にチョコレートを流し入れ、冷蔵庫で冷やします。
— しばたたかひろ|takahiro SHIBATA (@iine_piroshiki) April 17, 2020
⑥焼き上がった殻のクッキーを綺麗に整え、チョコレートを接着剤に2枚を合わせくっつけます。この時種のチョコレートを中に閉じ込めます。
⑦溶かしたブラックチョコをサラダ油で伸ばし、殻に模様を描きます。
⑧完成
It’s certainly not a simple recipe, but it’s not an impossible one either. The first steps of making a mold seem the most daunting, but a quick search online shows that food grade silicon can be easily purchased online at reasonable prices. There’s also a bunch of YouTube videos showing how to use it.
Armed with this knowledge, it’s not only possible to recreate Shibata’s amazing cookie, but to go wild and invent your own unique confection.
Don’t feel bad if yours doesn’t quite look as good as Shibata’s though. He’s a skilled professional having created a number of quirky items such as this sponge cake that looks like an actual dish sponge that we’ve featured before…
緑と黄色のスポンジケーキを焼いて重ねてみたら、想像以上のスポンジできた。 pic.twitter.com/iIrLgIDIgn
— しばたたかひろ|takahiro SHIBATA (@iine_piroshiki) December 20, 2019
…or a cake that looks only looks normal if viewed as a photographic negative.
妹から『写真映えし過ぎるケーキで周りと差をつけたい。』とお願いされたので、『色が反転したケーキ』をつくったら、『映えた。』と言われた。
— しばたたかひろ|takahiro SHIBATA (@iine_piroshiki) December 24, 2019
青い苺はゼリーで再現してます。 pic.twitter.com/s82nIhwXP2
He also created an animated film Forget Again that was entered in the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
▼ Trailer for Forever Again
Many of these items such as key chains, pins, and earrings can be found at his online shop linked below. Be sure to stop by and pick something up if you get a chance, and maybe even take these housebound days to flex some of your own creative muscle. Who knows? You could even be the next Takahiro Shibata.
Source: Twitter/@iine_piroshiki, Takahiro Shibata Online Shop, My Game News Flash
Featured image: Twitter/@iine_piroshiki
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Ramen face mask from Japan fogs up your glasses, looks like a steaming hot bowl of noodles
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
We ate sushi made from Japan’s most expensive tuna ever【Taste test】
This quiet forest cafe in Japan lets you read all day in the house of a famous author
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
What makes a good boss in Japan? Workers sound off in survey
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Sushi cars are the newest crazy cool dream from Japan’s Tomica line
Here’s what our bachelor writers ate over the New Year’s holiday in Japan
Kyoto to introduce “empty home tax” for vacation houses and unused homes
Majority of Japanese mayors say foreign residents are essential but most see good and bad effects
Japanese beef bowl chain Sukiya’s 2026 Smile Box lucky bag basically pays for itself
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
Cup Noodle tries an authentic Jiro-style ramen, but something’s not quite right
Top Japanese cosplayer Enako returns to Comiket after 6 years, creates mayhem with admirers
The best Starbucks Japan Frappuccinos we want to drink again in 2026
We revisited Sweets Paradise after a decade to see if Japan’s dessert buffet still delivers
That time Seiji called JASRAC to ask why he didn’t get paid royalties for his song being on TV
Pizza Hut Japan’s hot lucky bags are perfect for a New Year’s pizza party
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Leave a Reply