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Lukang ox tongue cakes
Sesame maltose flat pastries
Niú shé bǐng (牛舌餅): long, flat griddle pastries with a brown sugar and sesame maltose filling
TaiwaneseTheir name comes from the shape, long and flat like a tongue, not from any meat: in the old port town of Lukang, Changhua, these pastries are pressed on hot griddles along the lanes near Tianhou Temple and handed out warm in paper bags. Lukang's style is thicker and chewier than the cracker-crisp Yilan version, with a crisp, blistered shell and a sticky brown-sugar centre that pulls like soft toffee. Bakeries there use lard, so this vegetarian recipe uses vegetable shortening in the pastry and a little butter in the filling. A frequent mishap is rolling the filled dough with heavy hands, which bursts the skin and lets the syrup scorch in the pan. Chef's tip: cook them over a low heat and be patient; slow griddling lets the centre turn molten before the outside darkens.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 ¾ oz maltose
- 1 ¾ oz soft brown sugar
- 1 ⅝ oz plain flourtoasted in a dry pan until beige, then cooled
- ½ oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
For the water dough
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- ⅔ oz caster sugar
- 1 ⅜ oz vegetable shorteninginstead of the traditional lard
- ¼ cup water
For the oil dough
- 2 ⅞ oz plain flour
- 1 ⅜ oz vegetable shortening
For cooking
- 1 tsp vegetable oilfor the pan
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Warm 1 ¾ oz maltose for 10–20 seconds in the microwave, then stir in 1 ¾ oz soft brown sugar, 1 ⅝ oz plain flour, ½ oz unsalted butter and 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds to make a thick, sticky paste. Chill for 15 minutes and divide into 8 portions.
15 minStep 2: Rub 1 ⅜ oz vegetable shortening into 5 ½ oz plain flour and ⅔ oz caster sugar, add ¼ cup water and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Mix 2 ⅞ oz plain flour with 1 ⅜ oz vegetable shortening into a soft, smooth dough. Divide both doughs into 8 pieces each.
Step 4: Wrap each piece of oil dough in a piece of water dough and pinch closed. Roll each into a long strip, roll it up from the short end, rest 5 minutes, then repeat once more. Keep everything covered.
10 minStep 5: Flatten one roll into a 10 cm circle, spoon a portion of filling into the centre, pull the edges over it and pinch to seal. Repeat with the rest.
Step 6: With light pressure, roll each parcel seam-side down into a long oval about 15 x 6 cm and 7 mm thick. Make a short slit down the middle with a knife, just through the top layer, so steam can escape.
Step 7: Wipe a large non-stick frying pan with 1 tsp vegetable oil and set it over a low to medium-low heat. Lay in 3–4 cakes, cover, and cook for 4–5 minutes until the undersides are golden with darker spots.
5 minStep 8: Flip and cook uncovered for another 4–5 minutes, pressing them lightly with a spatula, until both sides are crisp and the cakes feel firm at the edges. Repeat with the rest.
15 minStep 9: Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before eating; the filling is very hot straight from the pan. They keep in an airtight box for 3 days and re-crisp in a dry pan.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lukang ox tongue cakes take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of soft brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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