likebyregina Over the weekend, I wanted to make Shao Bing with my limited pantry. It is a common Chinese pastry made with glutinous rice flour. It is an inexpensive treat that doesn’t require an oven or electric mixer. Instead of the classic red bean paste filling, I made some Tea-Infused Custard Cream, so it oozes out when biting into it. It may sound like so much work, but I promise it is easier than it sounds.
What is Shao Bing?
Shao Bing is a common pastry in China, which you can find on the street or even in restaurants. The most classic is with a red bean paste filling, and my favourite way of enjoying it is with pumpkin paste.
It is effortless to make them, and it only requires 3 ingredients that can be found easily at home. This time, I added two kinds of custard cream – Matcha and Pu’er. Pu’er is a Chinese fermented tea, and it is aromatic and floral, with a hint of bitterness to it, and I found it as a great pairing with my shao bing.
Where can I buy Matcha Powder and Pu’er Powder?
Both the Matcha Powder and Pu’er Powder are from Matcha Ninja. They also offer Butterfly Pea Flower Powder. All the powder at Matcha Ninja can be dissolved in cold water. So you can use it on lattes or cold drinks.
Tips/Note when Making the Shao Bing:
- I use a mix of glutinous rice and tapioca flour in this recipe. This mix allows the products to be less sticky while maintaining a nice chew. You can use plainly glutinous rice flour if you want.
- Keep your hands damp (not wet) when assembling them. The moisture on your hands can help the dough maintain its shape.
- You can be creative on the fillings. Some nice combos I recommend are purple yam, pumpkin, and sweet yam paste.
Shao Bing with Tea Infused Custard Cream Filling
Equipment
- Sieve
Ingredients
Dough
- 150 g glutinous rice flour
- 30 g tapioca flour optional, can sub with 1:1 glutinous rice instead
- 20 g sugar
- 150 g warm water
Custard Cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 20 g sugar
- 9 g all-purpose flour
- 100 mL milk
- 2 g matcha powder or pu'er powder
Instructions
To prepare Custard Cream:
- In a bowl, whisk egg yolk and sugar together until the mixture turns light yellow.
- Add all-purpose flour into the yolk mixture. Mix until combine (do not overmix it).
- In a saucepan, add milk and tea powder. Boil milk in medium heat and constantly stirring until the tea powder is dissolved. When there are bubbles start appearing at the edge, remove the saucepan from the heat immediately.
- Pour the milk into the yolk mixture, while stirring the mixture quickly. This will prevent the egg yolk from being cooked by the heat from the milk.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. In medium-low heat, simmer the mixture while constantly stirring it. When it starts to thicken, remove it from heat.
- Put the custard cream in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap by touching the surface of the custard. This will ensure no moisture is going into the cream.
- Put in the freezer for at least 15 minutes for a quick cool down.
To make the Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, and sugar.
- Slowly add warm water into the dry ingredients. Knead until a soft dough forms. The dough should not be sticky, with smooth skin. If it is still powdery, slowly add an extra 10 to 15mL warm water and continue to knead.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.
To Assemble:
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
- Place some glutinous rice flour on the countertop. Flatten the dough into a round disc and place 1 tsp of custard cream on top. Seal it well and shape it into a flat round piece.
- Pan-fried on low heat in a lightly oiled pan till both sides are cooked and lightly browned.
A really simple recipe. Might give it a go.