King and Queen of Dice

I am on a roll with oriental pastries lately but I gonna move to breads next week. I made hopia again because of my dad's request. If you've been reading my blogs, you probably know it already. Well if you still haven't, hopia is a pastry of Fujianese origin made with flaky pastry filled with various fillings from bean paste to sweet pork. I always want to improve it because it is one of my dad's favorite.

A failed experiment led to this success. Dad has mild rheumatoid arthritis and he said beans are making it hurt worse (I don't know if this is true, could someone please enlighten me?) so even though he loves bean paste especially my mung bean paste, he can't really enjoy it because he can't have too many. I planned to use taro but because I don't have experience in making taro paste, it was a disaster! Instead of a smooth paste, it became granular and hard. So as not to waste it, I still continued and experimented with different shapes to make the hopia better.





The dice shape is taken from a kind of hopia called Dice Hopia. It also filled with bean paste but the crust is not the flaky type (they never were so I can say I am the pioneer of THE flaky dice hopia!), it closer to a shortcrust of a cookie like crust. We do not like that crust but the shape is genius! As you can see, with conventional shapes only to sides are cooked directly on the pan, if you're not careful you can end up with 2 burnt sides and/or pale raw sides. With a dice shape, all 6 sides are cooked perfectly and added bonus is they are crispy and extra flaky from all sides!

It looks like a giant snakes and ladders game. Don't you just wanna throw that dice?


So the shape is an improvement so the only thing left is the filling. I decided to use sweet potato, a purple sweet potato for prettier color, et voila! Perfect filling for those who are avoiding bean paste. Steam the sweet potato, mash then add sugar to taste and a pinch of salt. Cook to a thick paste and you're done!



After filling the flaky pastry, I rolled it into a ball and and pressed the six sides using my finger to form a rough dice. The dice shape will be more defined while grilling. While grilling on a hot dry pan, I constantly press each side with a spatula every time it is turned to give a more beautiful look. I cooked it until all sides are golden brown and crispy.
                                                  

I made small dice similar to the size of the ones sold in store and two large ones the size of a fist hence the name of this post because they look like the rulers of the dice people. Well, here they are.

The Little Ones



Ladies and Gentlemen, The King and Queen.







The crust is extremely flaky! I don't know why we like flaky things even though it's messy with all the shards falling. This is the flakiest I ever made perhaps I'm getting better with the technique. The sweet potato has the right sweetness and texture. It's delicious though I still like mung bean paste with these more, dad liked it and asked if I can make more next time. I also made the crust a little saltier this time and it was perfect! The crust and filling complement each other so well.

See its flakiness and hear it's crispness here! I forgot to hold my phone horizontally because of too much excitement but still glad I documented it.

After a couple of days, it's my dad's turn to stir up the kitchen. He made my favorite dessert called Halaya or ube halaya in English is purple yam jam (JAM?! NO! In our household it was never jam like!) or paste. It's a labor intensive dessert so it's mostly only seen on special occasions and for our case only in yam season. Dad makes the best halaya! Period! He is the king of this dessert! (I'm the prince of mung bean paste only in our home) In my whole life, there is no other halaya that ever came close to it, even five star hotels can't make it like him. It is not to sweet and rich like others or you'll throw up after eating more than a teaspoon; it's not laden with artificial colors, it's just made with pure purple yam; its clean milky flavor will keep you coming back for more; but for me the ultimate quality that others can't copy is its kunat (chewiness, firmness? no direct translation), he really knows how to cook it. My grandmother taught him the techniques and now he teaches me.

Unlike other yams, ours doesn't grow underground instead they grow hanging on vines so no dirt residue. Raw whole yams and peeled boiled yams.


The yams are first boiled then peeled and grated. It is them mixed with milk and cooked over low fire (really until your shoulders are sore and your biceps are an inch bigger!) until thick. He never measures too so that's what I do too even in my baking.

No other grater in the house other than a small cheese grater. This is the second most labor intensive part and dad did it all by himself. It would be easier with a grinder or a food processor which we don't have.


The mixture is then put into a copper vat called a tatso then cooked over a wood fire until thick usually 2 hours stirring non-stop. If you stop stirring, it will burn and wont taste good. During his younger days, dad can do this non-stop but he asks for help now from time to time. Even though, I want to do it all, he still wants to do it until as long as he can. Using a wood fire also shows his superb temperature control; it's easier to burn than when you cook it over a gas flame but that's what he's taught so that's what he's teaching me also.

See how runny and liquid the mixture is at first?


The copper vat is older than dad and there is no other pot he used when making this dessert.


When cooked it is portioned into buttered llaneras for the ease of unmolding. It is also the traditional container for halaya. See how firm it is when cooked properly? I used to put a spoon in the middle and when lifted the whole llanera goes with it! I finished this whole llanera (8x5 inches) in one sitting after eating the main meal! Maybe 2 llaneras will suffice for a main meal! 



For other halaya, you can only eat it with a spoon because it's too soft. Dad's halaya is very firm that you can eat it with a knife and fork! Or.....



Chopsticks if you dare!!!



The halaya is also a popular filling for hopia pioneered by a Chinese bakery in Chinatown, but the ube filling is not as good as this one, dad's was miles ahead! I also made ube dice hopia and brought it to a three day vacation but because it's so good, I forgot to take pictures! :-) I learned the technique of making halaya the proper way but I still dont' know if I could pull it off myself, we'll see next yam season.

Indeed, were very blessed this week! Thank you very much! Job