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Qiaoguo (Qixi fried pastries)
Sesame sugar fried dough knots
巧果: small twisted sesame-sugar dough knots fried crisp for the lovers' festival
Qiaoguo, 'skill fruits', are fried for Qixi on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month in Zhejiang and Jiangsu. The festival celebrates the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd, the star-crossed lovers who meet once a year, and girls once set out these pastries and asked the Weaver Girl to make them clever with their hands; the neat twists and cut-out shapes show off that skill. They are crunchy, lightly sweet and toasty with sesame, like a delicate biscuit. Serve a plate under the evening sky with tea, melon and fruit. Chef's tip: roll the dough thin, about 2 mm; thicker pieces stay hard in the middle instead of crisp.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 ¾ oz sugar
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ cup warm wateradd the last 10 ml only if needed
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups oil for deep-frying
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Method
0/8 doneStep 2: Mix 9 oz plain flour, 2 tbsp white sesame seeds and 1 tbsp neutral oil in a bowl, pour in the sweet water and bring together into a firm dough, adding the last of the water only if it stays crumbly.
5 minStep 3: Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and firm, like modelling clay, then cover and rest for 15 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 2 mm thick, until you can just see the board's grain through it. Common mistake: leaving it thick; the centres stay hard and doughy.
5 minStep 5: Cut into 3 x 6 cm rectangles. Make a 3 cm slit down the middle of each and push one end through the slit to make a twisted knot; cut some into flowers or fish with small cutters if you like.
10 minStep 6: Heat 4 ¼ cups oil for deep-frying in a wok to 350°F, when a scrap of dough rises to the top in 2–3 seconds with steady bubbles.
5 minStep 7: Fry in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning, until they float, puff slightly and turn an even light golden brown.
15 minStep 8: Drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool; they crisp up fully as they cool. Keep airtight for up to 1 week.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 43 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does qiaoguo (Qixi fried pastries) take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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