A Not So Sweet Halloween Treat
Submitted by Michelle Ewton
Growing up, there weren’t too many desserts and treats in my house. Usually, if we wanted something, I would make boxed mixes that we bought from the grocery store, like brownies or cookies. On the rare occasions though, my mom would make bánh bao chỉ, which is also known as snowball cake. It looks like a snowball because the glutinous rice is covered in coconut flakes, but the version that I grew up with didn’t have coconut. It could be a regional difference, or maybe it’s because I was a picky eater, but we always had them with a smooth exterior.
Bánh bao chỉ is not a very sweet dessert. There’s some sugar in it, but there’s also a nice hint of saltiness to balance it out. The filling is a mixture of crushed roasted peanuts and white sesame seeds, mung bean, sugar, and salt. This gives the treat a nice toasty flavor with a bit of sweet and salty. Feel free to roll the glutinous rice ball in coconut flakes at the end instead of toasted glutinous rice flour for the snowball look and coconut taste, but I’ll tell you how to do it the way my mom does.
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup frozen grated coconut, thawed
- 3/4 cup roasted peanuts, unsalted
- 1/2 cup of sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
Dough:
- 2 cups Mochiko glutinous/sweet rice flour
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup sugar
Coating:
- 1/4 Mochiko glutinous/sweet rice flour, OR
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
Let’s start off by making the filling. Pulse the peanuts in a food processor until they are in small pieces, but not a powder. In a non-stick skillet, add the sesame seeds and toast them for about 3 minutes until fragrant, being sure to shake the pan often so they don’t burn. After they are toasted, put them in a bowl and set them aside. Add the water and sugar to the skillet, stirring continuously until it boils. Once it starts to boil, add the peanuts and sesame seeds to the skillet. Mix the filling well and cut the heat. Wait for it to cool a little bit, and then use a spoon to form the filling into balls and put them on a plate.
In preparation for the dough, toast the coating for the snowball cakes. If you are using the Mochiko glutinous/sweet rice flour, then toast in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. If you are using the sweetened shredded coconut, then toast at 350 until they take on a light brown color, about 5 minutes.
Next, let’s make the dough. Add the sugar and boiling water to a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Mochiko glutinous/sweet rice flour and use a spatula to fully combine. Microwave the dough for 8 minutes. Carefully take the dough out of the microwave and give it a good mix for 3 minutes. Microwave it again for 10 minutes. Give it another good mix and then let it rest for about 10 minutes. After resting, the dough should be shiny and not sticky when you poke it. Carefully roll it into a log, the dough will stick to your hands if you’re not fast.
Lastly, assemble the treat. Cut the log into pieces that would make golf ball sized balls. Use a little bit of the toasted Mochiko glutinous/sweet rice flour on the surface and a rolling pin and flatten them into disks. Put the filling in the middle of the disk, and pinch the dough into a ball. You can then roll it in the toasted coconut or rice flour. Repeat until you have made them all.
