Sesame Mantou (Black Sesame Steamed Buns)

Sesame mantou are soft, fluffy Chinese steamed buns enriched with the deep, nutty flavor of roasted black sesame. These buns are made from a simple yeast dough with ground black sesame seeds, sugar, and a bit of oil - then shaped into spirals or rolls and steamed until tender.

Unlike filled baozi, mantou are usually unfilled or have swirled-in flavor like sesame or taro. They’re slightly sweet, aromatic, and incredibly comforting.

Perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or as a snack, sesame mantou are best enjoyed warm - either fresh from the steamer or lightly reheated. They're also freezer-friendly, so you can make a batch and enjoy them anytime.

Ingredients (8 buns)

- 320g cake flour

- 50g sesame powder 

- 40g sugar

- 6g instant dry yeast

- 180g water

Instructions

1. Prepare the Dough:

   - In a bowl, combine all the ingredients using a spoon or spatula.

   - Knead the dough for 10-12 minutes until smooth, making sure to remove as many air bubbles as possible.

   - Cover with a tea towel and let it rest for 1 to 1.5 hours.

2. Shape the Buns:

   - After the dough has rested, deflate it.

   - Knead it briefly.

   - Divide the log into 8-9 equal portions.

   - Shape the buns and place them on a piece of parchment paper.

   - Let the buns rest for 30 minutes.

3. Steaming:

   - Prepare a pot of water for steaming and bring it to a rolling boil.

   - Place the buns in the steamer and steam over high heat for 12 minutes.

   - Remove from the steamer and serve warm.

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Sesame Cheese Filled ''Christmas Trees''

Well, Christmas is coming, but poppy seeds - one of the common ingredients in Poland - are illegal in Taiwan, so I swapped them for black sesame powder, which worked just great! I made the filling with cream cheese and shaped the buns / bread as Christmas trees. 

But oops, I forgot to make the tree trunk, which my husband pointed out afterward. Never mind - use your imagination to think it's a tree! But yes, if you make the tree trunk, they will look much closer to an actual tree. The cakes were super soft and fluffy. This dough recipe has to be my favorite, and I may come up with many more ideas using this recipe in the future.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

- 230g all-purpose flour  

- 5g instant yeast  

- 60ml warm milk  

- 1 egg  

- 40g sugar  

- 35ml oil  

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

- 150g cream cheese  

- 60g sesame seeds  

- 1 egg  

- 30g honey  

Instructions

1. Make the Dough:

   - In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast, warm milk, egg, sugar, and oil.  

   - Knead using a mixer for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  

   - Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.  

2. Prepare the Filling:

   - While the dough rises, mix the cream cheese, egg, and honey thoroughly until smooth.  

   - Add the sesame seeds and blend until well combined.  

3. Shape the Dough: 

   - Once the dough has risen, punch it down to remove excess air.  

   - Roll out the dough into a large round shape and cut it into 4 equal pieces. 

   - Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over 2 of the pieces.  

   - Cover with the remaining 2 pieces of dough.  

4. Form the Tree Design:

   - Transfer the layered dough onto a baking pan.  

   - Make several cuts on each side of the triangles.  

   - Twist each strip to form a tree-like pattern.  

   - You can use a small piece of dough to create a tree trunk at the base.  

5. Bake:

   - Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).  

   - Brush the dough with milk or egg wash.  

   - Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.  

6. Finish:

   - Allow the bread to cool.  

   - Drizzle with icing or dust with icing sugar before serving.  

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White Sesame Coated Cookies

While searching for Asian cooking ideas to gift to my husband's family, I came across sesame cookies multiple times. I noticed that the original recipe called for lard, but many variations now use oil. Personally, I find these cookies to be somewhat lacking in flavor, but taste preferences vary. I believe using butter instead of oil could make them richer in flavor.

Ingredients

- 2 eggs

- 230g low-gluten flour

- 60g fine sugar

- 60g oil

- 4g baking powder

- Sesame seeds (for coating)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Dough:

   - In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, fine sugar, salt, and oil. Stir until the sugar has melted.

   - Sift in the baking powder and low-gluten flour. Mix until a dough forms.

   - Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill.

2. Shape and Coat: 

   - Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit).

   - Divide the chilled dough into 15-20g portions. Roll each portion into a ball.

   - Roll each dough ball in sesame seeds to coat the surface evenly.

3. Baking:

   - Place the coated dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between each one.

   - Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

   - Remove from the oven and let the sesame seed cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

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