CHINESE DESSERTS: I group this recipe in making red bean buns in with desserts. But in everyday life in Hong Kong, these buns can be enjoyed anytime when fancy strikes, not necessarily as a dessert.

CHINESE SWEET BEAN BUNS:

 

 

 

1 quantity Chinese sweet bun dough, see posted basic recipe                         

1 x 16 oz. can red bean paste

 

 

 

 

Prepare dough. Roll it out on a floured surface into a long roll about 1½-inches in diameter. Cut roll into half and each half into 9 or 10 equal pieces. Cover with tea towel and let dough rest for 20-25 minutes.

 

Roll each piece of dough into a ball, then flatten ball out. Use a rolling pin to roll out each flat piece into a 4-inch circle, rolling from edges to inward to make edges slightly thinner than centers.

 

Cup a circle of dough in the palm of your hand and place 1 ½ tsp. of red bean paste in the center. Pleat edges of circle, lift sides up over filling and twist together at the top to seal. Gently shape each bun into a ball. Cover with tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.

 

Use a saucepan big enough to have a bamboo steamer fitted over the rim and fill it with 10-15 cups of water. Bring water to a vigorous boil. Place a damp cloth in a steamer and gently fit in as many buns, twisted-side up, as will fit into steamer, leaving 1-inch spaces between buns. Fill another steamer with buns and stack it on top. Cover with a lid. Steam over high heat for 20 minutes. Repeat with rest of buns, adding more boiling water to pot as needed.

 

Let stand 5 minutes before removing from steamer.

 

 

 

VARIATIONS:  Sweet black bean paste or lotus paste may be used for the filling.