Pandas with Bamboo
Panda-shaped red bean paste pastry from the Manchu Han Imperial Feast, made with scalded-dough flaky pastry, baked and decorated with bamboo.
Ingredients
Flour (divided into four portions)
100 g
Butter (30g for the pastry dough, 10g for the water dough)
40 g
Sugar
10 g
Red bean paste filling
100 g
Black sesame seeds (for decorating the panda's eyes, ears, and waist)
a pinch
Egg white (brushed on the panda dough to stick the sesame)
1
Instructions
1
Step 1
Divide the flour into four portions. Add 30g of butter to one portion and rub together to form the pastry dough (su miàn); add 10g of butter, sugar, and 25g of water to another portion and knead into the water dough (pi miàn).
2
Step 2
Divide both the water dough and pastry dough into 12 pieces each. Wrap the pastry dough in the water dough, roll it out into strips with a rolling pin, roll up into cylinders, press flat with the palm of your hand, fold into thirds, roll out into round wrappers, fill with red bean paste, and shape into panda figures with your hands. Make 12 pandas this way.
3
Step 3
Using a brush, apply egg white to the ears, eyes, and waist of the panda dough and stick black sesame seeds on them. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, remove, place on a plate, and arrange a few bamboo branches made from scalded dough alongside to serve.
