Zhir Ma Bao (Black Sesame Filling for Buns)

"This was by far the most sinful and delicious of all the bun fillings I found in China. Made from rich, crunchy black sesame seeds and rock sugar, or from black sesame tahini and fine sugar for a more paste-like consistency, this desert filling is absolutely divine in the fluffy filled bun recipe."
 
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Ready In:
20mins
Ingredients:
4
Yields:
4-8 filled buns
Serves:
4-8
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ingredients

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directions

  • Toast sesame seeds very lightly (be careful, black sesame becomes very bitter if overtoasted.).
  • Add 1/4 cup sugar to the boiling water, dissolve.
  • Combine 1/4 cup remaining sugar, sesame seeds, and 1 tbs peanut oil in a blender or masher.
  • Process or crush to desired fineness – it can be anything from a gritty paste to a smooth filling.
  • Add the hot water and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the remaining 1 tbs oil during the grinding process to adjust sweetness, consistency, and smoothness to taste.
  • NOTE: This recipe should yield a very sesame-flavored, gritty paste after 5 – 10 minutes of start-stop processing without any extras.

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Reviews

  1. This recipe was simple to make and tastes wonderful. I only needed about half of the water, but the thickness was perfect. Cleaning out the blender afterward was fun too--just add milk and blend for a black sesame smoothie! :)
     
  2. i just made this in the blender and i'm a little sad because i should have toasted the sesame seeds more in order to get the richness and aroma but i was afraid of burning it. i made this to make zhi ma tang yuan. i think if i didn't make that personal error, this would have been perfect. also i did not have peanut oil but i put in a sesame oil blend that also contained peanut oil. i am very grateful that you posted this because it's the only one on zaar.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Student of many obscure academic fields, aspiring cook, all around oddball. Currently in China until mid-July -- so thank you for trying all my recipes while I'm gone, and I hope to come back with new ingredients all over the place!
 
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