Siu Beng (Toasted Glutinous Rice Cakes)

stuffed with Maple Pumpkin Butter, Sesame Paste, Red Bean Paste, and whatever your heart tells you!

It’s been five months since my trip to Hong Kong and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the siu beng from Kee Tsiu Cake Shop in Mong Kok. This small storefront was about a 3 minute walk from my hotel, which was incredibly convenient because I found myself craving one of their toasted glutinous rice cakes every other day. The red bean filled ones were especially unforgettable. My family in Hong Kong found it amusing that I was enamored by this little bakery and was surprised I wasn’t more excited to try the fancy croissants and pastries in Tsim Sha Tsui or Hong Kong Island. I’m lucky enough to live with easy access to excellent croissants, but siu beng not so much. The dim sum restaurant in Cleveland, where I grew up, would occasionally make them and I know of at least one place in San Francisco that makes them too (Wing Lee Bakery, although they are not awesome). So these little cakes are an uncommon sight in Chinese bakeries.

Siu beng are rice cakes filled with sweet pastes like sesame, red bean, and custard. At Kee Tsiu you could also get them unfilled! The dough is made from glutinous rice flour which is very different than regular rice flour. It gives the cakes a sticky and extra chewy consistency, much like mochi. If you’ve ever had fried sesame balls before, this is quite similar to that. These are just flat and toasted without oil instead of being deep fried. Both sides of these cakes are toasty and lightly golden brown. You can even dip them in sesame seeds before hitting the hot top for extra crunch and the intoxicating smell of toasted sesame seeds. I recently spilled my bag of sesame seeds so I’m still traumatized from that cleanup and decided to omit them from my recipe… but you do you!

History has proven that red bean paste and black sesame paste are insanely delicious stuffed into their bellies. But if you’re feeling a little more creative and craving the flavors of Fall or have been staring at that can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, give the Maple Pumpkin Butter filling a try! It’s loaded with warming cozy spices and leftovers are great swirled into yogurt or spread on toast. Just saying! I also think the glutinous rice cakes would be delicious stuffed with cookie butter, apple butter, pistachio butter, heck… any butter. So go in the direction you heart tells you.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know if I should recreate more of my favorite bites in Hong Kong! And thank you to all my early subscribers! I’m so grateful you’re here!

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Toasted Glutinous Rice Cakes

Makes 8

230g (2 cups) glutinous rice flour

200g (scant 1 cup) water

50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

30g (2 tbsp) coconut oil

1/2 cup filling of choice

Fillings:  red bean paste (store bought or from Mooncakes and Milk Bread), black sesame paste (store bought or from Mooncakes and Milk Bread), or maple pumpkin butter (see below), peanut butter, cookie butter, apple butter would also be delicious 

1. Place glutinous rice flour in a large mixing bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk to combine water and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once the sugar has fully dissolved and the syrup is simmering, immediately pour over the glutinous rice flour. Mix with a flexible spatula until crumbly. Add coconut oil and mix to incorporate. Start kneading by hand, transfer to the counter if needed, and continue until the dough is very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, use a digital scale for extra precision if you want. Roll the dough into smooth balls and keep covered with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten the dough between your palms until it is about 4-inches in diameter. Spread about 1 tablespoon of filling on the the center and then fold and pinch the edges together. Gently flatten the dough again between your palms, a few tiny tears is fine (don’t worry). Place the formed rice cake on a plate or baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces of dough and filling.

3. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium low heat until warm. To properly heat it up give it at least 5 minutes to warm up. Add a batch of rice cakes, make sure they aren’t touching each other, and toast the underside until lightly golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. If browning too quickly, reduce the temperature slightly. Flip the rice cakes and toast the other side until lightly golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the rice cakes to a wire rack and cook the remaining rice cakes.

4. Enjoy the rice cakes warm (the best!) or at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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Maple Pumpkin Butter Filling:

1 15oz can of pumpkin puree

1 tsp coarse salt

1  tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp chinese five spice

1/4 cup maple syrup

1. In a medium saucepan or frying pan, mix to combine pumpkin puree, salt, cinnamon, ginger, Chinese five spice, and maple syrup with a flexible spatula. Heat over medium-low heat and continuously stir until the mixture is thickened and the color is deepened and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and allow the pumpkin butter to fully cool before sealing and storing in the fridge. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Forming the rice cakes are a little easier once the pumpkin butter has had a chance to chill.