A taiyaki is a fish-shaped waffle that's usually filled with sweetened red beans, though custard, cheese, and sweet potato fillings are also commonly found. Cookie butter is actually a perfect filling for taiyaki — it's sweet, has a great consistency, and most importantly tastes like nostalgia, which is exactly what I want to experience when eating a taiyaki.
Ingredients
Taiyaki Batter
120g(1 cup) all-purpose flour
24g(3 tbsp) cornstarch
26g(2 tbsp) granulated sugar
1tspbaking powder
1tspbaking soda
1/4tspsalt
175ml3/4 cup whole milk
1large eggs
1 tspvanilla
Filling
5tbspcookie butter
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix until no streaks of flour remain.
Heat up taiyaki pan over medium heat. Once both side of the pan is hot, grease the inside of the pan with vegetable oil.
Pour batter into one side of the taiyaki pan until the 3/4 full. Add one table spoonful of cookie butter to the centre (the "belly" of the fish) and cover the filling with a bit more batter. Close the taiyaki pan and flip it, so the batter inside covers the entire pan.
Cook taiyaki on each side over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until it is golden and releases from the pan easily. If taiyaki is sticking to the pan, cook the taiyaki on the same side for an addition 30 seconds - 1 minute.
Remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack. Repeat will remaining batter and filling.
Taiyaki are best enjoyed right away. The waffles can also be reheated in an airfryer or oven.