Steamed Pumpkin With Red Bean Paste Dessert

To all PUMPKIN lovers, do try a hand on this yummylicious dessert/snack.  I am sure it will warm your heart and you will continue to make and enjoy it in the comfort of your home.  I bought the ready made red bean paste from the Baking Store, and since I prefer my dessert less sweet, I use lesser amount of red bean paste.  Like wise, if you have a sweet tooth you can increase the amount.  This is one good thing of making our own desserts  based on our own preference and it is more healthy, thus not having to feel guilty.

Ingredients:

250g Pumpkin (peeled and cut into thin slices)

150g Glutinous rice flour (sifted)

40g Corn starch (sifted)

50g Caster sugar

120g Red bean paste

Some dried cranberry (cut into thin strips as pumpkin stalks)

Methods:

1. Place the pumpkin slices onto a steaming dish and steam in a steamer until soft.  Remove from steamer and place them into a bowl, discard water, if any.  
2. Mashed the pumpkin into paste, add caster sugar, glutinous rice flour and corn starch.  Knead until it forms a smooth and slight sticky dough.
3. Lightly sprinkle the  working area with a bit more corn starch to prevent stickiness.  Roll the dough into long strip and divide it into 12 sections with a spatula.
4. Divide the red bean paste into 12 portions, roll into balls and place them onto the corn starch lightly dusted area.
5. Roll the pumpkin dough into ball, flatten into a circle, place a piece of the red bean paste into the center, and wrap the pumpkin dough around the red bean paste, encasing the paste into the center of the dough ball.  Make sure to pinch ends tightly together, and then roll around to secure the ball shape.
6. Arrange the dough balls on a lined baking pan.  Repeat until all is done.
7. Using your index finger, gently press a fingerprint indentation into the top of each dough.
8. Next, use a toothpick to press out the lines of pumpkin ridges around the side of the dough.
9. Take a piece of cranberry strip and put it vertically onto the top of each pumpkin, and you need to press a little to let it stick, to resemble pumpkin stalks.  
10. Steam the completed pumpkins in a steamer for 10 minutes.  
11. Remove from steamer and let it cool in the baking pan place on a cooling rack.  The pumpkin will set up as they cool.
12. Once cooled, the dessert is ready to serve.

Before steaming

After steaming

I adapted this recipe from YUM CHINA by Tiana Matson.