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Jau gok (crispy peanut dumplings)
油角 jau gok: crimped Cantonese New Year pastries filled with peanut, sesame and coconut
In Hong Kong and Guangdong households, the days before New Year mean a production line at the kitchen table: one person rolls, another fills, a grandparent crimps the rope-like edge, and the finished jau gok go into big tins for visitors. Their purse shape stands for silver ingots, and the filling of roasted peanuts, toasted sesame, coconut and sugar crunches under a flaky, blistered shell. Leaving air pockets inside is the mistake that makes them burst in the oil, so press the filling down before sealing. Chef's tip: fry them at a moderate heat, not high, so the shell cooks through and stays crisp for weeks in an airtight tin.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 ¾ oz cold butterdiced
- 1 eggbeaten
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- ¼ cup cold waterplus a little extra if needed
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz roasted unsalted peanutsskins removed
- 1 ⅜ oz white sesame seeds
- 1 ⅜ oz desiccated coconut
- 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar
For frying
- 1 litre neutral oil
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ¾ oz cold butter into 10 ½ oz plain flour and 1 tbsp caster sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and ¼ cup cold water and knead into a smooth, firm dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Toast 1 ⅜ oz white sesame seeds and 1 ⅜ oz desiccated coconut in a dry pan over a low heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 4 minutes. Watch them closely: coconut burns fast.
4 minStep 3: Pulse 5 ½ oz roasted unsalted peanuts in a food processor until finely crushed, like coarse sand, then mix with the sesame, coconut and 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar.
Step 4: Roll the dough out thinly, about 2 mm, and cut 8 cm rounds. Re-roll the trimmings once.
Step 5: Put a heaped teaspoon of filling on one half of each round, press it down to squeeze out air, brush the edge with water and fold into a half-moon. Press firmly to seal.
Step 6: Crimp the edge by folding and pinching it over itself every few millimetres to make a twisted rope; or press with a fork.
Step 7: Heat 1 litre neutral oil in a wok or deep pan to 325°F. Fry 6–8 at a time, turning, until pale golden and blistered, 4–5 minutes. Never leave hot oil unattended.
25 minStep 8: Drain on kitchen paper and cool completely before storing in an airtight tin for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jau gok (crispy peanut dumplings) take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 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 cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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Perfect for:Lunar New Year