Chestnut Cake
Chestnut cake is a traditional Beijing pastry also known as flower cake. It has a soft, fluffy texture and rich chestnut flavor, and was once served as a dish at Qing imperial court banquets.
Ingredients
glutinous rice flour
200g
raw chestnuts
1kg
white sugar
300g
osmanthus sauce
250g
water (300ml of which is used to cook the sugar and glutinous rice flour)
600ml
Instructions
1
Step 1
Use a knife to score a cross on the surface of the raw chestnuts, place them in a copper pot, add clear water, bring to a boil over heat for about 10 minutes, then remove. Once cooled, peel off both the inner and outer skins, and rinse clean with water.
2
Step 2
Pour clear water into a copper pot, add the peeled chestnuts, cook for 30 minutes, then remove and drain.
3
Step 3
Rub the thoroughly cooked chestnuts through a fine sieve, then knead them into a paste and let cool.
4
Step 4
Place the white sugar, glutinous rice flour, and 300 ml of cold water in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. When it becomes thick and sticky, remove from heat, then add the chestnut paste and osmanthus sauce, and stir until well combined.
5
Step 5
Place the mixed chestnut paste on a clean cloth, press and spread with a knife into a rectangular sheet about 4 cm thick, sprinkle a layer of white sugar on the surface, press flat, and cut into squares to finish.
