Hung Dou Sha Yueh Bing (Red Bean Moon Cake)
cakes, chinese, dumplings, loo, snacks
1 pastry:
3 1/2 cup flour
7/8 cup lard or shortening
7/8 cup water
1 filling:
1/3 lb dried red beans or small chili bean; s
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 easy alternate filling:
1 can (18 oz) red bean paste
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oil
1 finishing off:
1 recipe pastry
2 cup bean paste
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sugar mixed in
2 tablespoon water
1 special holiday finish:
2 egg yolks, beaten
Mix together 2 c flour and 2 T lard. Add 3/4 c water and stir until it makes a soft dough. Add the rest of the water as necessary. Knead 2 min or until smooth. Divide into two equal balls, cover, and set aside.
Mix the remaining 1 1/2 c flour and 3/4 c lard. Flour your hands and form this into two equal balls.
Take a water dough ball and flatten to a 7" circle. Put a lard dough ball and put it on top. Fold up like an envelope. Flatten lightly and then roll out into an 8-12" oblong. Fold into thirds and roll again. Do this once or twice more. Store finished dough in the fridge and repeat the process for the other two dough balls.
II. Filling
Pick over and rinse beans in several changes of water. Combine beans with at least 6 c water. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn off heat, and let sit 1/2 hr. Bring to the boil again (do not drain) and simmer 1 hr or until liquid is absorbed and beans are soft. Puree beans.
Combine beans and sugar; bring to a boil, lower heat to medium low, and cook 10 min or until paste is quite dry. Lower heat to lowest and slowly add oil, stirring constantly. When oil is all added, remove from heat and beat until cooled.
IIA. Easy alternate filling:
Combine flour and oil. Heat bean paste in a saucepan; when it's hot, mix the flour-oil mixture in slowly, stirring constantly. Let heat for 5 min.
III. Finishing off Roll out one of the dough oblongs into a 14" square. Roll this up into a jelly-roll shape. Cut this cylinder into 12 pieces. Cover the lot while shaping each individual pastry.
Take 1 blob of pastry and squish it into a 2" circle. Roll this circle out to 3 1/2 in, with the edges thinner than the middle. Store covered while you make the rest of the circles.
Take a disk and put 1 T filling in the middle. Bring up the edges and pinch-pleat to seal. Flatten a bit with your hand. Complete all pastries in one batch of 12 before going on to the other batch.
When all pastries are done, either brush them with sugar water and coats the tops and sides with sesame seeds, pressing to make them stick, OR mold them in a yueh bing mold and brush with egg yolk.
Bake at 400 for 15 min and lower heat. Bake at 350 for 15 more min. Serve at room temperature. May be refrigerated or frozen. Reheat refrigerated ones at 350 for 15 min; frozen at 350 for 17 min.
Florence Lin's Complete Book of Chinese Noodles ... William Morrow; ISBN 0-688-03796-8; LC 85-29820.
Yield: 24 servings