Chengde Fresh Rose Cake
A famous specialty from Chengde, once served in the Qing Dynasty imperial court. Made with fresh roses, these pastries are soft and flaky with a sweet, fragrant flavor.
Ingredients
enriched flour
22.5 kg
white sugar filling
18 kg
rose
1 kg
peach kernels
0.5 kg
white sugar
0.5 kg
white shortening
9 kg
maltose (for syrup)
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Place the white sugar in a dough mixer, add water and stir to dissolve the sugar, then add the white shortening and mix evenly. Finally, add 1/3 of the flour and stir until it forms a semi-solid mass with suitable firmness and softness (this becomes the skin dough).
2
Step 2
Pour the remaining flour into the dough mixer, then add 90% of the total white shortening. If the consistency is not right, add some of the remaining 10% of white shortening as needed, but be careful not to make it too soft and crumbly. Keep stirring until the pastry dough is evenly mixed and matches the firmness of the skin dough.
3
Step 3
Place sugar and water in a pot and heat to dissolve. Add the maltose and continue cooking until the syrup can pull into sugar threads. Then sift the flour and add it along with the white shortening into the syrup, stirring evenly until the filling reaches a suitable viscosity without clumping. Place the cooked filling in a clean container and stir in the rose petals when ready to use.
4
Step 4
Divide the prepared dough, pastry dough, and filling each into 10 equal portions. Roll each skin dough portion into a rectangle with thin sides and a thick middle using a rolling pin. Place the pastry portion in the center and spread it flat, fold all four sides inward and press flat by hand. Then roll it out into a rectangle about 50 cm wide and 100 cm long. Cut off both ends and place them in the middle, then roll flat. Cut along the length from the middle to divide it into two, and roll each half outward from the cut edge to form cylindrical layered pastry strips of suitable diameter. Divide the layered dough into 8 strips, and cut one portion of filling into 8 strips to use for wrapping.
5
Step 5
Place the layered dough strips and filling strips on opposite sides of the work surface. With the left hand, pinch the dough with the seam facing up and shape it into a flat round with thin edges and a thick center. With the right hand, pinch the filling and wrap it in, ensuring the seam is tightly sealed. Finally, press the wrapped raw pastry into a flat round to complete the shaping.
6
Step 6
Arrange the pastries on a clean baking tray, leaving space between rows to prevent sticking. Stamp each pastry with a red seal bearing a floral border and the word 'Rose'. Using an electric oven at 380 V, set the entry temperature to 160°C, in-oven temperature to 160°C, and exit temperature to 185°C. Bake for about 10-11 minutes, then remove and cool before serving.
