MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

     Title: Steamed Green Pear Cake Decorated with Water Caltrop
Categories: Chinese, Ceideburg 2
     Yield: 1 servings

MMMMM----------------STEAMED GREEN PEAR CAKE DECO---------------------

MMMMM--------------------------FILLING-------------------------------
    90 g  Sesame seed
    90 g  Plain flour
    90 g  Lard
    75 g  Syrup
    45 g  Peanut butter

MMMMM---------------------OUTER DOUGH LAYER--------------------------
   150 g  Spinach juice
   110 g  Wheat starch
    35 g  Glutinous flour
   1/2 ts Shrimp roe (optional)
    75 g  Sugar
   1/2 tb Lard
     1 ts Milk powder
   1/8 ts Vanilla essence

MMMMM--------------------------GARNISH-------------------------------
    40 sm Twiglets, washed and dried

 INNER DOUGH LAYER: Same as above outer dough layer, except replace
 spinach juice with boiling water.

 This one pretty much sums up the idea that in Asia things are not
 always what they seem.  Looking at the picture, I see what are
 obviously steamed pears++complete with stems++with a couple of water
 caltrops on one plate and steamed finger citrons (an Asian fruit that
 looks sorta like a hand) accompanied by a couple of peaches on the
 other plate. (Water caltrops are those seeds that look like a set of
 miniature water buffalo horns.) What these things really are, though,
 are steamed, stuffed sweet dumplings. I really wish I could post a
 .gif with this message. These things look REAL! Somehow, I doubt that
 anyone will want to attempt this one, but here it is just in case.

 Establishment: Yung Kee Restaurant 36-40 Wellington Street, Central,
 Hong Kong Chinese Cuisine Practical Class Platinum Award - Desserts

 THE NEVER ENDING STORY (12 servings) Chef: Yau Shing (Yung Kee
 Restaurant) "Longevity" would be an over-simplified literal
 translation for this dual presentation of treasured culinary symbols
 crafted out of flour. Peaches symbolize longevity, and fairy tales
 often feature water caltrops (bull horn-shaped roots) as part of the
 fairy diet.  The Fairy Mother herself is given peaches on her
 birthdays.  The finger citrons, a kind of fruit, have long
 represented Buddha, owing their resemblance to the shape of Buddha's
 palm.  The combination of associations - with long life, happiness,
 elegance and spiritual peace - heightens the diner's admi- ration of
 the culinary sculptures.

 To prepare and cook: 1. For sesame paste filling, stir-fry sesame
 seeds in a dry, heated wok until golden. Set a quarter aside and
 grind rest to powder. 2. Stir-fry flour in a dry wok, over a low
 flame, all slightly yellow.  Then sift it.  Mix all filling
 ingredients together.  Place in refrigerator until firm. 3. For
 doughs (made in two batches, one with spinach juice, one with boiling
 water). Heat spinach juice or water. Pour hot liquid into a mixing
 bowl containing wheat starch and glutinous flour. Mix well. Remove
 mixture to a clean working surface and add remaining ingredients one
 a time, working up a smooth texture. 4. For pear shaping, form
 spinach-dyed dough into small balls of approximately 4 g each.
 Flatten round discs.  Do same for uncoloured dough. Place one
 uncoloured disc on top of a dyed dough disc.  Place a small portion
 of sesame paste filling on top, and mould discs upwards around it to
 form pear shape. Stick one dry twiglet into top end of pear shape.
 Press lightly on bottom of pear shape to form a firm base. 5. Steam
 for 3 to 5 minutes. (If shrimp roe not available, chocolate powder
 could be dusted over the pears after they have cooled.) (The water
 caltrop garnish recipe is not included. it is also steamed dough with
 colouring.)

 From "Champion Recipes of the 1986 Hong Kong Food Festival".  Hong
 Kong Tourist Association, 1986.

 Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; October 28 1992.

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