Putting an adorable spin on a traditional sweet!

If there’s ever a character that can lend itself perfectly to being adorned on cakes and sweets, it’s Kirby. Whether it’s an impressive homemade tribute to the pink superstar or something more professional, adding Kirby to any food will always make it more adorable. (well, almost always).

Kirby’s latest collab comes courtesy of Kyoto-based confectionary company Tsuruya Yoshinobu. The company boasts an impressive history of over 200 years and are well known for their ‘Kyo-gashi’, special confectionary made in Kyoto used for traditional events like tea ceremonies.

This isn’t the first time Kirby has come together with Tsuruya Yoshinobu, as they’ve previously made some monaka featuring Kirby’s various facial expressions. Monaka are essentially sweet bean sandwiches in a snack form – the centre is made from adzuki red bean paste, which is sandwiched between some thin wafers made from mochi pounded rice.

This time, Tsuruya Yoshinobu have added a special autumnal ingredient in their fall-exclusive monaka though — more specifically in the red bean paste, which now contains chestnuts! A firm favourite in many an autumn snack, chestnuts are already starting to pop up in menus all over Japan. Tsuruya Yoshinobu boasts delicious homegrown chestnuts that are marinated in honey. The chestnuts are then chopped by hand by skilled confectioners, and mixed with the red bean paste.

Usually, monaka comes pre-packed with the bean paste already nestled inside the mochi wafer, but as expected of one of the most famous confectioners in Kyoto, Tsuruya Yoshinobu are keeping the bean paste and wafers separate. Separately packaged been paste is something Tsuruya Yoshinobu’s monaka are known and loved for, and it comes with two benefits – you can add as much or as little filling as you want, and also keeping the ingredients separate keeps the wafers fresh and crispy.

To help any first time monaka makers, the company made a helpful diagram of how to make your own sweet treat. Scoop the red bean paste filling from the can, pop it on the wafer, pop a face wafer on top and you’re ready to enjoy!

▼ Choose from either the Chestnut Adzuki Paste monaka set…

▼ … or the Ogura-an (a mixture of mashed and whole beans) monaka set.

Eagle-eyed Kirby fans will notice that chestnuts are not the only new addition to the autumn range of Kirby sweets – Waddle Dee also makes an appearance! Both sets contain a Waddle Dee monaka to keep Kirby company (before you delicately devour them, of course.)

▼ Kirby is joined by Waddle Dee for this sweet collaboration.

Even the packaging comes in traditional autumn colours, with dark red and orange leaves delicately falling as Kirby whizzes through the air.

Of course, you’re free to do whatever you want with the monaka set – whether you want to add extra fillings inside the sweet, such as fruits or ice cream, or just want to make a completely new dessert, the possibilities are endless!

▼ Make your own autumn parfait using Kirby’s face!

The monaka sets can be ordered via the Tsuruya Yoshinobu website until 30 November. You can also buy the sets at Tsuruya Yoshinobu stores in Tokyo and Kyoto. Each set costs 1,782 yen (US$17) or you can purchase both sets for 3,456 yen (US$33).

If you want an Instagrammable sweet treat, be sure to grab a Kirby monaka set. If you need more autumnal treats, check out our top 5 recommendations for fall fancies!

Related: Tsuruya Yoshinobu
Source, images: PR Times
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