Pumpkin Mochi with Red Bean Filling (红豆南瓜饼)

Method17 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Cover the dry adzuki beans (150 g) with plenty of the separate soaking water and soak overnight in the refrigerator.

   Uses 150 g dry adzuki beans · Enough separate water to cover the beans overnight

2. 2

   Step 2: Drain the soaked beans and discard the soaking water (500 ml). Put the beans in a pot with the separate 500 ml water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for about 90 minutes until the beans are soft. Check the liquid and add a little hot water only if needed to prevent drying out. Drain the cooked beans well before making the paste.

   Simmer adzuki beans · 90 minUses Soaked adzuki beans, soaking water discarded · 500 ml water for cooking the soaked beans · A little hot top-up water only if needed

3. 3

   Step 3: Blend the drained cooked beans with the filling’s 2 tbsp white sugar, 1 tbsp dark brown sugar and 80 g butter until finely puréed. If the processor struggles, add only as little of the separate blending water as needed.

   Uses Drained cooked adzuki beans, cooking liquid removed · 2 tbsp white sugar for the filling · 1 tbsp dark brown sugar for the filling · 80 g butter for the filling · A little blending water only if needed

4. 4

   Step 4: Transfer the soft bean paste to a non-stick pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring and flipping constantly so it does not burn, until darker, dry and firm enough to hold a ball’s shape. The author’s batch took about 6 minutes; use the consistency as the endpoint. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool enough to handle.

   Dry the bean paste · 6 minUses Blended sweet bean paste

5. 5

   Step 5: Remove the squash skin and seeds and cut the squash into chunks. Put the chunks in a steamer above water, keeping the water below the food. Once the water is boiling and steam is steady, cover and steam for about 15 minutes until fork tender. Check and top up the steamer water if needed.

   Steam squash · 15 minUses 350 g butternut squash · Enough water below the squash to maintain steam

6. 6

   Step 6: Blend the cooked squash with the dough’s separate 1 tbsp white sugar and 1 tbsp neutral oil into a fine purée.

   Uses Fork-tender squash, external steamer water excluded · 1 tbsp white sugar for the dough · 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil for the dough

7. 7

   Step 7: Add the glutinous rice flour to the squash purée in batches and process on medium speed, scraping down as needed. Use the 320 g as a guide rather than adding it all automatically: stop when the dough is very soft but not sticky, or add a little extra flour if the squash is wetter. Knead on the worktop for about 1 minute to smooth it, dusting lightly with extra rice flour only if sticky. If it feels dry, wet your hands and knead in that small amount of moisture. Keep unused dough covered; no resting is needed.

   Uses Sweet squash purée · Needed portion of the 320 g flour guide · A little extra rice flour only if needed · A little hand-moistening water only if dough feels dry

8. 8

   Step 8: Divide the finished dough into sixteen equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Divide the cooled red bean paste into sixteen equal portions and roll them into filling balls.

   Uses Finished squash-rice dough, unused flour excluded · Cooled shape-holding red bean paste

9. 9

   Step 9: Flatten one dough ball into a disc. Put one bean-paste ball in the middle, gently push the dough edge upward around the filling and seal completely, pressing out trapped air. Repeat with all sixteen pairs.

   Uses One squash-dough ball at a time · One red-bean filling ball at a time

10. 10

    Step 10: Use the blunt back of a butter knife to press pumpkin-like grooves around each filled cake without cutting through the dough. Press one raisin into the top as its stem, using the sixteen raisins for the sixteen cakes.

    Uses Sixteen sealed filled cakes · 16 raisins, one for each cake

11. 11

    Step 11: Optional make-ahead route: put assembled uncooked cakes in one non-touching layer on a parchment-lined tray and freeze immediately. Once completely frozen, transfer to an airtight freezer bag or container and use within two months. Keep frozen until steaming; do not defrost. Skip this step when cooking the fresh cakes now.

    Uses Assembled uncooked cakes selected for freezing

12. 12

    Step 12: Line the steamer basket with perforated parchment so steam can pass through. Arrange the cakes you are cooking with space between them. Use either fresh assembled cakes or raw frozen cakes straight from the freezer.

    Uses Fresh assembled cakes, only for the fresh route · Raw frozen cakes, only for the frozen route

13. 13

    Step 13: Fresh-cake route only: bring the steamer water to a boil, set the loaded basket above it and cover. Once steady steam reaches the cakes, steam over medium-high heat for 10 minutes until the dough is cooked and soft. Keep water below the cakes and maintain the steam. Skip this fresh-cake timer if cooking raw frozen cakes.

    Steam fresh cakes · 10 minUses Loaded fresh cakes, only for the fresh route · Water below the basket to maintain steam

14. 14

    Step 14: Raw-frozen-cake route only, instead of the fresh-cake steam: place the loaded raw frozen cakes over boiling water, cover and steam for 15 minutes from steady steam, until the dough is cooked and soft. Do not defrost first. Keep the water below the cakes and maintain the steam.

    Steam raw frozen cakes · 15 minUses Loaded raw frozen cakes, only for the raw-frozen route · Water below the basket to maintain steam

15. 15

    Step 15: Uncover and leave the cooked cakes in the basket for 5 minutes so they become easier to handle. Serve warm or after cooling to room temperature; refrigerate any leftovers promptly.

    Cool for handling · 5 minUses Cooked cakes from the fresh route, external water excluded · Cooked cakes from the raw-frozen route, external water excluded

16. 16

    Step 16: Store cooked leftovers promptly in an airtight container in the refrigerator at 4°C or colder for up to three days, or freeze them for up to two months. The cooked-leftover route is separate from freezing uncooked assembled cakes.

    Uses Cooked cakes selected as leftovers

17. 17

    Step 17: Optional refrigerated-leftover route: put the cooked refrigerated cakes in a lined steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam for about 3 minutes from steady steam, until soft and hot through; continue if needed. For already cooked frozen leftovers, skip this three-minute timer and steam until soft and hot through.

    Reheat refrigerated cooked cakes · 3 minUses Cooked refrigerated cakes, only for the refrigerated-leftover route · Already cooked frozen leftovers, only for that reheating route · Water below the basket for reheating