Glutinous rice dessert dumplings
Coconut and black sesame ice cream
As Kiwi kids growing up in a Chinese household it’s not surprising that both cultures influenced the way we like to eat. This is true of the evening meal: shared savoury dishes served with rice, followed by a wedge of pavlova or bowl of ice cream. In fact, we ate mountains of ice cream so Dad could collect the 2-litre containers for use as ‘Tupperware’ at the market. Years later the ice cream has long melted into our hips, but the tall stacks of ice cream containers remain (at last count, 78 of them).
Although the idea of a dessert course is not commonplace in Chinese eating culture, it doesn’t mean that sweet treats don’t exist. Many of the recipes in the Chinese Bakery chapter are fantastic ways to finish off a meal. Fancy a slice of pandan cake with a dollop of cream? We say, ‘yes please!’. In Hong Kong, speciality dessert restaurants sell a bedazzling variety of puddings at all times of the day. We think it’s time to commandeer such delights for everyday eating.
The sweet treats in this chapter range from the very traditional (Glutinous Rice Dessert Dumplings) to the cheeky (Deep-fried Ice Cream). And, as tribute to the culture that nursed our sweet tooths, you will also find a few East-meets-West creations.
Brittle is an old-school kind of sweet treat: quite simply, sugar that has been caramelised with some tasty morsels suspended within. The classic Chinese version, fah sung zjie ma tong, is a clear golden amber confection with two houng (fragrant) ingredients: roasted peanuts and freshly toasted sesame seeds. For a surprising yet delightful kick we’ve added dried chilli flakes.
Makes about 200g
15g sesame seeds
60g roasted salted peanuts
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
150g granulated sugar
1½ tsp white vinegar
1 Toast the sesame seeds in a small frying pan over a low heat for 5 minutes, or until they smell slightly smoky and nutty. Line a 20cm square baking tin with non-stick paper and set aside.
2 Sprinkle the peanuts, toasted sesame seeds and chilli flakes (if using) evenly over the lined tin.
3 Heat the sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring gently until the sugar melts. Increase the heat to medium and bring the syrup to the boil. (Once boiling, avoid the temptation to stir the mixture.) Cover with a lid and boil for a further 7–8 minutes or until the syrup is a light amber colour.
4 Remove from the heat and immediately pour the syrup onto the nuts and seeds in the tin. Leave to cool for 3–4 minutes in the tin before lifting it out with the paper onto a chopping board. Chop the brittle into shards and leave to harden for a further 40 minutes before munching. Store in an airtight container, where it will keep for at least a week.
DUMPLING SISTERS TIP
For maximum dramatic flair, you can wait for the brittle to cool completely before using a small hammer to crack it into irregular shards.
Fabulous alliteration aside, these gorgeous puddings really do live up to their name. If you have ever tried the Chinese restaurant variety you may have been disappointed by its somewhat processed quality: overly jellified and artificially mango-ey. Our homemade version blows the ‘just add water’ ones out of the, err … water. With an inviting warm yellow hue and a hint of richness afforded by a coconut milk base, this refreshing pudding is the ideal way to finish off a summer meal.
Serves 4
3¼ tsp gelatine powder
250ml coconut milk, plus extra to serve
3 tbsp granulated sugar
generous pinch salt
2 large just-ripe mangoes (about 440g), peeled, stoned and cut into chunks or the same quantity of canned mango
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed (optional)
few sprigs fresh mint, to serve (optional)
1 In a small bowl, soak the gelatine powder in 60ml cold water for at least 10 minutes.
2 Heat the coconut milk, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over a medium heat until the mixture is hot but not boiling. Slowly drop spoonfuls of the soaked gelatine into the coconut milk mixture, whisking as you go. Turn off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
3 Blitz the mango chunks in a food processor or blender until you have a smooth purée. Strain through a sieve, into a bowl, discarding any fibrous bits caught in the sieve. Stir the cold coconut milk mixture into the mango purée, then spoon the pudding into individual ramekins, cover with cling film and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
4 To serve, drizzle over a generous spoonful of coconut milk, pile fresh mango cubes on top of the puddings and decorate with a sprightly sprig of mint, if you wish. Marvellous.
There are times when only a pancake will do. Whenever you find yourself in such a position, think about turning to these gems with their crunchy filling of peanuts, coconut, sugar and sesame seeds – perfect partners for the supple yet crispy pancake. Scale up the recipe as you like but we do suggest using a large frying pan so the pancake can be rolled up in the traditional way.
Makes 1
70g glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp full-fat milk
½ tsp vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking
for the filling
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp roasted salted peanuts, finely chopped
½ tbsp desiccated coconut
½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 In a bowl, whisk together the flours, 90ml water, milk and ½ teaspoon oil into a runny batter.
2 Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a large frying pan (at least 30cm wide) over a medium heat. Pour in the batter and use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly into a circle. Cook for 5 minutes, until the surface has dried out and the bottom is blistered and mottled with golden yellow. Flip and cook the other side for a further 2 minutes. For extra crispiness, drizzle oil around the edge of the pancake while it is cooking, then give it a few spins in the pan to let the oil coat the bottom of the pancake.
3 Transfer the pancake to a plate so that the first side you cooked is on the bottom. Sprinkle over the filling ingredients then fold the two opposite sides of the pancake towards the centre, as if you are closing a pair of double doors, then fold in half lengthways again. Cut the rolled pancake along its length into wide slices, and eat immediately while warm and crispy.
Served in a sweet broth, these dumplings are made from a pillow-soft casing of glutinous rice flour that has a daan gnaa mouthfeel: a springy bite that lets you sink your teeth satisfyingly into the dumpling without it being so chewy that it sticks to your front teeth. They are traditionally filled with sweet red bean paste but the options are limitless, so feel free to experiment.
Serves 4
for the dough
125g glutinous rice flour
½ tbsp black sesame seeds
for the filling
3–4 tbsp sweet red bean paste or same quantity or chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella) or strawberry jam or peanut butter mixed with 1 tbsp granulated sugar
for the ginger broth
4 slices ginger
granulated sugar, to taste
1 Make the dough. Put the rice flour and sesame seeds into a large bowl, pour in 100ml water and stir vigorously until it comes together. Use your hands to squeeze the dough until it feels firm and smooth. In a separate bowl, have ready the filling ingredients.
2 To form the dumplings, take a ping-pong ball-sized piece of dough and flatten it in your palm to form a patty, then using your thumbs, apply pressure in the centre to create a bowl. Aim for the edges of the bowl to be a slightly thinner than the base.
3 Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the base of the pre-formed bowl and bring the edges of the bowl in towards the centre, closing up the bowl as you do so. Squeeze the edges together to seal. Gently roll the dough between the palms of your hands until it is a smooth, dimple-free sphere. Repeat with the remaining dough.
4 For the ginger broth, combine the ginger and sugar with 750ml hot water in a small saucepan. Cover and simmer over a low heat for at least 10 minutes.
5 To cook the dumplings, fill a large saucepan two-thirds with hot water and bring to a rolling boil. Gently slide the dumplings into the water, then use a ladle to loosen them so they don’t stick to the base of the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes on a rolling boil until the dumplings rise to the top, then remove with a slotted spoon and serve in bowls along with a ladleful of ginger broth.
Buttery, creamy caramel with a secret ingredient: light soy sauce. Taking the place of salt in a traditional salted caramel sauce, the soy sauce imparts a rich umami flavour and deep copper colour that will have you dipping in time and again.
Makes about 330ml
200g granulated sugar
90g unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
160ml double cream, at room temperature
1½ tbsp light soy sauce
1 Heat the sugar in a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat. When a light gold ring of melted sugar starts to form around the outer edges of the pan, gently stir with a heat-proof spatula until the melted sugar is evenly distributed throughout the remaining sugar crystals. Keep stirring every 30 seconds to ensure even melting. If you find that clumps form, reduce the heat and let the sugar melt again slowly. Keep cooking for about 10 minutes until the melted sugar turns dark copper in colour.
2 Carefully add the butter and whisk quickly; the mixture will foam up at this point. Remove from the heat, add the cream and whisk until the foam settles. Leave to cool.
3 Mix in the soy sauce, a little at a time, tasting and adjusting the flavour as you go. Transfer to a lidded jar for storage. The sauce will keep in the fridge for two weeks and is delicious served with the Deep-fried Ice Cream, page opposite.
The most joyous thing about this pudding is that in principle it reads like the ultimate oxymoron: a frozen dessert thrown into roaring hot oil. The cheow (crispy) coating is incredibly houng (fragrant) whether you opt for a cornflake crust that tastes of honey or a nutty sesame crust. Prepare your globes in advance so they are seriously frozen at the time of frying.
Makes 6
1 litre good-quality ice cream, flavour of choice
1 egg
1 tsp full-fat milk
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
for the cornflake variation
80g cornflakes, crushed into medium crumbs
80g fine breadcrumbs
for the sesame seed variation
60g sesame seeds
180g fine dried breadcrumbs
1 Prepare the ice cream globes the night before. Quickly scoop out six tennis ball-sized globes of ice cream and arrange them on a baking sheet. Cover with cling film and re-freeze for at least 2 hours.
2 Combine the ingredients for either the cornflake or sesame seed variation in a bowl. Beat the egg and milk together in a shallow bowl.
3 Work on one globe at a time, leaving the others in the freezer. Use a rubber spatula to wedge the globe off the sheet and, working quickly, pop the globe into the dry coating mix. Use your hands to quickly pat the coating all over the globe, roll it in the egg-milk mixture then the dry mixture until the globe is completely covered. Toss it gently between your hands for a few seconds in the same way that you would toss a tennis ball – this will help shape it into a sphere. Return the coated globe to the freezer and repeat with the remaining globes. Freeze the globes overnight.
4 Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a large saucepan until you can see wisps of smoke rising from the surface. If using a deep-fryer, set the temperature to 180°C/350°F. Nestle one globe in a metal slotted spoon and carefully lower it into the oil. Use the spoon to keep the globe spinning in the oil for about 10 seconds until the coating is golden brown then remove and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Serve immediately because, well … ice cream melts!
In an age when big tubs of ice cream are readily available in every flavour imaginable, it’s still lots of fun to make your own. Although ice cream is not a typical sweet in China, we grew up eating some of the best stuff in the world made from fresh New Zealand cream. In this ‘no-churn’ recipe, we infuse two of our favourite Chinese dessert flavourings into a rich custard.
Serves 4
1½ tbsp black sesame seeds
3 egg yolks
90g granulated sugar
165ml coconut milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp sesame oil
150ml double cream
1 Toast the sesame seeds in a small frying pan over a low heat for 5 minutes, or until they smell slightly smoky and nutty. Transfer two-thirds of the seeds to a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder and grind until they resemble cracked pepper. Mix the egg yolks and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.
2 Heat the coconut milk gently in a small saucepan over a low heat until it is hot to the touch. Add the egg yolk mixture and vanilla and cook over a very low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Pour the custard into a freezer-proof bowl and leave to cool.
3 Stir the sesame oil, ground and whole sesame seeds into the cooled custard. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then add this to the custard mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Cover with cling film and freeze for 30 minutes.
4 Fetch the custard mixture from the freezer and vigorously beat it with a wooden spoon to get rid of any ice crystals. Return to the freezer for a further 30 minutes, before repeating the beating and returning to the freezer for another 30 minutes.
5 Beat the ice cream once more, then transfer it to a freezer-proof container. Smooth over the top, then cover and freeze for a further 2–3 hours before serving. Allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before eating.
Courtesy of an enzyme in ginger called zingibain (what a fantastic name), a mixture of just milk and ginger magically transforms into a set pudding. Look for ‘old’ fibrous ginger that produces plenty of white starch when juiced. Be warned: the innocent appearance of this pudding belies its intensely fiery flavour.
Serves 2
6–7cm piece old, fibrous ginger, peeled
250ml full-fat milk
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 Use a fine grater, food processor or blender to process the ginger into a rough pulp. Use the back of a spoon to squeeze the juice from the pulp through a fine-meshed sieve until you have collected 4 teaspoons of juice. Divide the juice between two 200ml bowls (teacups also work well). Leave for a few minutes, then tilt the bowl slightly to check that a layer of white starch has settled in the bottom. If there is no starch, the milk won’t coagulate.
2 Warm the milk and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring gently until it just starts to release steam. The milk should feel hot to the touch, but not too hot to dip your finger into. If you have a thermometer, the milk is ready when it reaches 80°C/176°F. Stir the ginger juice to evenly distribute the starch before pouring in the milk from a height of about 20cm, in one continuous stream – don’t be tempted to stir. Leave to set for 5 minutes at room temperature, then eat warm or enjoy chilled.
