Black Sesame Rolls

I usually gravitate towards my usual desserts (if I even have room) when out for dim sum, and to be honest, these black sesame rolls were not something I tried up until recently. My go-to's are usually the sesame balls filled with red bean or Hong Kong egg tarts. I love them both of course and no dim sum meal can be complete with at least one of them, but this is a refreshing take on dessert after a more than satisfying meal of meaty dumplings. I first tried these in a dim sum restaurant in Oakland, CA after much convincing from a much more wise Chinese grandma who knows her stuff when it comes to good food. To my surprise, these inconspicuous black colored rolls (typically served plain without anything to dress it up) were delicious. Light without being cloyingly sweet, and yet rich in deep nutty sesame flavor is how I would describe these treats. I like how "un-showy" they are compared to all the fancy (and sometimes ornate) desserts being rolled around on the dim sum carts, because expectations are likely low based on appearance. But that makes the reward of eating these even better when you taste get a mouthful of deep rich nutty flavor.

Makes 12 servings (if using the same sized cake pan shown in video)

120 grams black sesame seeds
110 grams granulated white sugar
400 mL water, divided
30 grams plain rice flour
60 grams wheat starch
40 grams water chestnut starch
vegetable or canola oil for greasing

Toast sesame seeds in small saucepan over medium high heat until fragrant. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a medium sized bowl, dissolve sugar with 200 mL boiling water. Stir to dissolve and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a separate small bowl, combine rice flour, wheat starch, and water chestnut starch.

Once all ingredients are at room temperature, blend sesame seeds with flour mixture until most of the seeds are a fine powder. A few whole sesame seeds are okay. Make a well in the center and pour in reserved syrup (sugar and water mixture), along with remaining 200 mL cold water. Blend until smooth. Strain with a fine meshed sieve (optionally can line the sieve with cheesecloth and ring the black sesame seeds). If not using a cheesecloth, press sesame seeds firmly against the sieve to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Discard black sesame remnants.

To steam, have ready a pot that fits the cake pan used to steam the rolls (I used a 9 inch by 9 inch square cake pan). Place a steamer rack on the bottom of the pot and fill with water. Heat over high flame, cover, and wait for water to boil. In the meantime, grease the cake pan and pour enough batter to fill the bottom of the pan. Experiment with the level of thickness you prefer for your black sesame rolls. Steam for 2-3 minutes or until matte and cooked solid. Remove from heat and immediately brush oil on the surface of the roll. Use a bench scraper to gently loosen the roll from the sides of the pan. Use the scraper to lift up a corner and gently pull the roll away from the pan. It should lift off easily. Place top side down on a clean work surface and roll into a tight cylinder. Cut off the ends and cut each finished roll in half. Refrigerate to chill and enjoy!

Recipe source: "The Missing Lockness"

xo Shannon

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