Chinese Mung Bean Dessert Recipes

Steps:

• **One 14-oz package of dried peeled split yellow mung beans makes 35 hopia. Dough recipe is for 18 hopia. It is best to cook the entire package and freeze the unused portion**.
• MUNG BEAN PASTE FILLING.
• In medium glass bowl, soak beans in water for 4 hours at room temperature. You can soak overnight, but place bowl in fridge to prevent bean sprouting.
• After soaking, drain yellow water and rinse beans well. Transfer beans to medium saucepan, add fresh water about 1/8-inch above beans, and bring to boil. When beans start to soften, scoop out foamy water on top and reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking into a paste, stirring often to prevent burning. Use a wooden spoon to mash down the beans in the saucepan.
• When only a few intact beans remain, remove from heat and transfer paste into a microwave-proof dish or bowl. Use a potato masher to mash down the paste until very smooth. A food processor might be easier, but I haven't tried that yet.
• Sprinkle the salt over the paste and mix well. Then add the sugar gradually, adjusting to taste. When sweet enough for you, spread paste into an even layer in the same dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes to "dry" it out. The goal is for the paste to dry out enough to shape it into a ball, but not too dried out that it crumbles or burns. Set aside to cool and proceed with the doughs.
• DOUGH #1.
• In a small bowl, make a well in center of flour and add oil. Combine with fork until LOOSE, coarse crumbs form; set aside.
• DOUGH #2.
• In a separate medium bowl, make a well in center of flour. In separate small cup, first whisk oil and water together, then pour into center of flour. Combine with fork until dough takes shape. Divide into 4 parts.
• Flatten each part into a square about 1/8-inch thick. Do NOT flour work surface, as there is enough oil in the dough to prevent it from sticking.
• ASSEMBLE HOPIA.
• For each of the flattened squares, do the following: Crumble 1/4 of Dough #1 on top of Dough #2; spread crumbs evenly but leave space about 1/2-inch from the perimeter of Dough #2 so Dough #1 does not fall off the edges.
• Gently roll up square with your fingers like a jelly roll. Pinch the ends a tiny bit so none of Dough #1 falls out. Repeat process with remainder of flattened squares.
• Gently roll each jelly roll back and forth under your palms, stretching into a cylinder about 1-inch in diameter. Then place cylinders on top of paper towel and chill and rest in fridge for 30 minutes, to absorb excess oil. (Do not chill overnight; dough will harden.).
• After chilled rest time is up, preheat oven to 375°F.
• Take the chilled cylinders and cut each into 5 pieces. Flatten each piece into a very thin square a bit less than 1/8-inch thick. Place a small scoop of mung bean paste in center of square. Fold edges and pinch into a ball. Place ball pinched side down onto an UN-greased cookie sheet and flatten just slightly, but not so much that the pastry skin cracks open.
• Brush tops with beaten egg, and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, or until BOTTOMS are slightly brown.
• Recommended: Store leftover hopia in Tupperware with piece of bread to keep the pastry soft. But if pastry hardens, microwave hopia for 30 seconds on High.

Steps:

• Combine water and beans in a large pot, bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer, cook uncovered till beans are tender (about 2 hours?).
• Add lotus seed and sugar (plus tapioca and rice balls if you choose to), cook until soup thickens a little and lotus seeds are tender, but not mushy (20 minutes).
• Add vanilla, serve hot for a perfect winter dessert, or you can let the soup cool down, then add ice.
• With this basic recipe, you can take out all the beans, increase the amount of lotus seeds and have a lotus seeds sweet soup instead.