LouPorPeang, Wife's biscuit

 

This pastry snack is only called by its Cantonese name.  Translate its name to any dialect and it will still not be quite the same. Had it not been for my Cantonese husband, I would never have known its existence.  As if by genetic memory, my pseudo Cantonese daughter loves this, despite my lukewarm attitude to it ( being Teochew, I only cared about TauSarPiah ! )

But with the exam grind getting to her, I thought it would bring much cheer to surprise her with this, after a grueling day of geography and biology papers. Making it is no walk in the park, this being my first attempt, though the pastry procedure bear similarities to that of making Shanghai moon cake.

Perhaps it was the work of my labor, but I wasn't even comparing it to Hong Kong's Hung Heong's LouPorPeang. There is something very seductive about sinking your teeth in fresh, warm LouPorPeang with its still oozy winter melon filling. The experience is indescribable.

Thanks to this talented lady at mykitchensnippets.com , I am able to look at LouPorPeang with renewed favor.

Makes 14.

Ingredients :

Water dough -

140g  flour

21g caster sugar

53g  shortening

65ml water

Oil dough-

70g cake flour

33g shortening

Filling -

200g candied winter melon cubes

3 tbsp roasted white sesame seeds

40g cooked glutinous rice flour (goufen)

Pinch  of fine salt

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

55ml water

Egg wash, sesame seeds, untoasted

Method :

To prepare the water dough, put all the ingredients in a food processor, except water. Pulse to cut shortening into flour.

Pour water in a steady stream, processor pulsing, until the dough comes into a ball. Remove dough.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is elastic, non sticky and pliable. Set aside for 30 minutes, so full moisture absorption and gluten formation to take place.

To make oil dough , pulse ingredients for oil dough in the processor until crumbly. Transfer crumbly mixture to a worktop and knead until it becomes  a ball.

For both oil and water dough, divide into 14 portions equally.

Meanwhile, mix filling ingredients until it comes together. It will be easier to work with oiled hands.

Divide into 14 equal portions.

On an oiled worktop, flatten the water dough into a disc. Place the oil dough in the center of the water dough-disc. Encase.

This will be your combined dough. Set aside to rest the dough.

Repeat this for the remaining 13 portions of oil and water dough.

To make a flaky pastry dough, place combined dough on an oiled worktop.

With a rolling pin,GENTLY  elongate the dough, working from the middle.

Roll up the dough to form a tight cigar roll.

Turn roll 90 degrees.

Again, with a rolling pin, GENTLY  elongate the dough, working from the middle.

Roll up the dough to form a tight cigar roll.

Bring up the 2 ends of the roll together, pinch them and flatten with your palm.

Gently roll out a disc.

Encase filling with the flattened combined dough.

Turn pastry, smooth , pretty  side facing up.

Flatten with oiled palm, gently, until the size of your palm.

Transfer to an oiled baking tray.

Repeat the rolling and wrapping for the remaining 13 portions.

Brush pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle sesame seeds. Do the same for the rest of the pastry.

Preheat oven to 200 C.

Bake for 17 minutes, until pastry turns golden brown.

Remove from the oven, rest 5 minutes and transfer pastry to a cookie rack.

Cool thoroughly before devouring / storing in an airtight container.

Recipe slightly adapted from www.mykitchensnippets.com/2010/07/wife-biscuitsweetheart-cakelao-por-peng.html