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Dragon and phoenix cakes
Lotus seed paste wedding pastries
龍鳳餅 · Cantonese wedding pastries with lotus seed paste
In Guangdong and among Cantonese families in Hong Kong and overseas, a groom's family sends boxes of 'lung fung beng', dragon and phoenix cakes, to the bride's relatives ahead of the wedding, and the cakes are shared out among guests as a token of the match. The dragon stands for the groom and the phoenix for the bride, and the cakes are stamped in red with the two creatures or the double-happiness character. Inside the many-layered, flaky crust is smooth, sweet lotus seed paste, sometimes with a salted duck egg yolk, served with tea. Older bakeries often use lard; this version uses butter and vegetable shortening, so it is vegetarian. Chef's tip: roll the laminated pastry lightly and evenly; uneven rolling is the common mistake that leaves thick patches of raw dough and torn, leaking sides.
- Total time
- 138 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the water dough
- 7 oz plain flour
- ⅞ oz caster sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz unsalted buttersoftened
- ¼ cup water
For the oil dough
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 ⅝ oz vegetable shortening
For the filling
- 1 ¼ lb lotus seed pasteready-made
- 1 oz toasted melon seeds or pine nuts (optional)
To finish
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tsp milk; or brush with milk for an egg-free glaze
- ½ tsp red food colouringmixed with 1 tsp water, for stamping
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Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Divide 1 ¼ lb lotus seed paste into 8 balls of 70 g, kneading in 1 oz toasted melon seeds or pine nuts if using. Cover.
5 minStep 2: Mix 7 oz plain flour and ⅞ oz caster sugar, rub in 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butter, then add ¼ cup water and knead for 6–8 minutes to a smooth, elastic dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
38 minStep 3: Rub 2 ⅝ oz vegetable shortening into 5 ½ oz plain flour and knead briefly to a soft, smooth paste. Wrap and leave at room temperature.
Step 4: Roll the water dough into a 25 cm square. Roll the oil dough into a 17 cm square, lay it diagonally on top and fold the corners of the water dough over it like an envelope, sealing the seams.
5 minStep 5: Roll into a 15 × 40 cm rectangle, fold in three, turn 90 degrees and roll and fold again. Wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
20 minStep 6: Roll into a 15 × 40 cm rectangle once more, then roll it up tightly from a long side into a log. Cut into 8 pieces and rest them, covered, for 10 minutes.
15 minStep 7: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan) and line a large tray.
Step 8: Stand each piece cut side up, press flat and roll into a 13 cm round, thinner at the edges. Wrap around a ball of lotus paste, pinch shut and roll seam side down into a flat cake 10 cm wide and 2 cm thick.
20 minStep 10: Bake for 25–28 minutes, until the tops are a glossy golden brown and the sides flaky and dry to the touch.
27 minStep 11: While the cakes are still warm, dip a dragon, phoenix or double-happiness stamp (or a cut piece of root vegetable) in ½ tsp red food colouring and press it gently on top of each.
5 minStep 12: Cool completely and pack in boxes. They keep for 5 days at room temperature; the pastry is flakiest on the day of baking.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 73 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dragon and phoenix cakes take?
- About 138 minutes in total: 110 minutes to prepare and 28 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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