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Kẹo mè xửng (Huế sesame peanut chews)
Soft malt-and-peanut chew coated in toasted sesame
No one leaves the old imperial city of Huế without a box of kẹo mè xửng, the soft sesame chew sold on Đông Ba market stalls and handed out at Tết and on family visits. Rice malt syrup and sugar are cooked with a little tapioca starch into a glossy, stretchy mass, chopped peanuts are folded in, and the slab is pressed between layers of toasted sesame. It chews like a soft toffee, nutty and gently sweet, and the sesame gives every square a roasted fragrance. Serve squares with hot lotus or green tea after dinner. The candy is naturally egg-free: tapioca starch gives it its springy chew and the malt syrup binds it, so nothing else is needed. Chef's tip: oil your knife and cut while the slab is just warm. The common mistake is adding the starch slurry without stirring hard, which leaves white lumps through the candy.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 2 ⅞ oz white sesame seeds
- 1 ⅜ oz tapioca starch
- ¾ cup waterdivided
- 10 ½ oz rice malt syrup
- 5 ½ oz granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp neutral oilplus extra for the tray
- 3 ½ oz roasted peanutsskinned and roughly chopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Toast 2 ⅞ oz white sesame seeds in a dry pan over a medium-low heat, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Tip onto a plate.
5 minStep 2: Whisk 1 ⅜ oz tapioca starch with ½ cup water until smooth, with no lumps.
Step 3: Put 10 ½ oz rice malt syrup, 5 ½ oz granulated sugar and ¼ cup water in a heavy pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the syrup bubbles.
4 minStep 4: Lower the heat and pour in the starch mixture in a thin stream, stirring hard all the time.
1 minStep 5: Cook, stirring constantly, for 15–18 minutes, until the mass is thick, glossy and translucent, reaches about 250°F (soft-ball stage) and falls from the spatula in a heavy ribbon.
17 minStep 6: Stir in 1 tbsp neutral oil and 3 ½ oz roasted peanuts until evenly mixed, then take off the heat.
Step 7: Brush a 20 cm square tin with a little extra oil and scatter half the sesame over the base. Scrape in the hot mixture, scatter the rest of the sesame on top and press flat to about 1 cm with an oiled rolling pin.
Step 8: Leave for 30 minutes until just warm and set, then cut into 3 cm squares with an oiled knife. Wrap each in baking paper; they keep 1 week in an airtight box.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 176 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 29 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kẹo mè xửng (Huế sesame peanut chews) take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
- What can I use instead of granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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