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ChineseAuthentic Cuisine

Chinese Cheese Pastry

Serves 4 to 6 Pastry vegetarian, Breads & Pastry

Chinese Cheese Pastry

In the heart of Chinese home kitchens, the Chinese Cheese Pastry is crafted with a blend of tradition and intuition. This dish is a staple of cozy family meals, where the salt is measured by instinct and the butter flows freely. Passed down through generations, it's a recipe that captures the essence of familial cooking—simple yet deeply satisfying.

The pastry emerges with a golden crust that gives way to a tender, cheesy interior. Each bite melts into a harmonious balance of buttery richness and savory cheese, embodying comfort in every layer. A perfect companion to tea, it invites warmth and sharing, embodying the spirit of home-cooked goodness.

Ingredients

  • 300 gflour
  • 200 gcheese
  • 100 gbutter
  • 1egg

Method

  1. Begin by taking 100 g of butter out of the refrigerator and letting it soften at room temperature. This will make it easier to incorporate into the dough later. Also, crack 1 egg into a small bowl and allow it to come to room temperature, which helps it blend more smoothly with the other ingredients.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 300 g of flour with the softened butter. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. This step ensures that the butter is evenly distributed, which is crucial for the pastry's flaky texture.
  3. Grate 200 g of cheese and add it to the flour and butter mixture. Mix gently with your hands or a spatula until the cheese is evenly dispersed throughout the dough. The cheese should be visible in the dough, giving it a speckled appearance.
  4. Create a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the room-temperature egg. Use a fork to gradually incorporate the egg into the flour mixture, then switch to your hands to bring the dough together. Knead gently until the dough is smooth and cohesive, but avoid overworking it to prevent toughness.
  5. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1 cm thickness. Use a round cutter to cut out circles of dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each piece.
  6. Bake the pastries in the preheated oven until they are golden brown and the cheese has melted and slightly bubbled, about 15-20 minutes. The pastries should have a crisp exterior and a soft, cheesy interior. The aroma of baked cheese will be prominent, indicating they are ready.
  7. Remove the pastries from the oven and let them cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm, allowing the cheese flavor to be at its most aromatic and the pastry to be at its flakiest. These pastries are best enjoyed fresh, shared with family or friends around the table.
Cover of Authentic Chinese Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Chinese Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Chinese Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Chinese volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

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