The Mooncake/Mid Autumn festival has come and gone but I still have some leftover lotus and black sesame tau sar pastes. Not to waste these pastes as they are quite expensive, I made Chrysanthemum Crisp 菊花酥 (ju hua su) last weekend. It has a flaky crispy outer crust filled with layers of black sesame tau sar (red bean) paste, quite easy to make. Emm….. I think the flower shape looks more like a daisy to me. Anyway this is a welcome snack to our boys and they even brought them to school for their tea break. Have a try on this if you still have some leftover tau sar or lotus pastes left. I’m sure your family will be very happy to have this as their snack too.
- Ingredients – makes 15
Water Dough
75g Bread flour
75g Plain flour
55g Ghee (can also use crisco shortening or pork lard)
20g Icing sugar
70g Water
- Place all the dry ingredients in mixing bowl and mix them at low speed, slowly add water till mixture combined, takes about one minute.
- Place dough on dusted flour table. Press dough down with the heel of your hand, then roll the dough towards you. Repeat this process for about 10 times or till elastic and not sticky, then shape it into a ball (the dough still looks rough at this stage).
- Cover dough with cling wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Oil Dough
110g Plain flour
40g Ghee
300g Black sesame tau sar ( roll to 15 pcs, 20g each)
- Combine oil dough ingredients together in a mixing bowl at low until it becomes crumbly and place it on the table.
- Press the crumbs together with your hands, till the dough comes together and get a smooth ball and divide into 15 balls, about 10g each.
Method:
- After resting the water dough for 10 minutes, knead it again for a few times and divide into 15 pcs, about 20g each and knead each small dough to smooth.
- Wrap water dough with oil dough inside. Flatten and roll to about 4 inches long and roll it up and turn the dough to length wise, roll out dough and roll it up like Swiss roll.
- Flatten dough and roll evenly into a round shape, wrap in tar sar filling and seal the ends.
- Use roller pin to flatten it gently to about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and use a scissors to cut the dough into 10 petals along the circle.
- Place it on the baking tray (lined) and gently flip the petals to one side.
- Brush the center of the dough with little beaten egg yolk and sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top.
- Bake at preheated oven 210 C for 15 – 16 minutes.
- Leave chrysanthemum crisp to cool completely and store in an airtight container for 4 – 5 days.
Hope you have a wonderful week ahead