This paeng must be very popular cos there were 2 requests for the recipe. I can recall the name but somehow cannot remember how it should be. When i was in San Fransisco, i asked for it in the bakeries, the ppl at the bakery replied that they have not heard of anyone asking for Kong So Paeng for the longest ever and looked at me as though i was Rip Van Winkle, who slept for 100 years. Now that i have made it, i know why this paeng did not stay in my memory, it has no significant smell or taste.. I would like to thank Seadragon of Corner's Cafe who found this recipe for me.
Ingredients:
Dough Starter:
135g cake/superfine flour, sifted
45g pau flour, sifted
1 tsp instant yeast
A pinch of salt
100g water
The Main Ingredients:
300 gm self rising flour
100gm yeast dough starter
150gm white sugar
1 large egg
30 gm lard
3 tbsp evaporated milk
Preparation for dough starter::
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix and knead (by hand or by mixer) until dough is smooth and elastic.
Place dough in an oiled bowl and covered with cling film. Prove for 11/2-2 hour until dough is double in volume.
Reserve the required portion for this recipe and store the rest in an air tight container and freeze. Thaw to room temperature the next time you want to use the dough starter.
To make Kong So Paeng:
Mix the starter dough with sugar, lard, eggand evaporated milk, until well combined.. Add in the flour and mix until a dough forms.
Lightly knead dough and let dough rest for 30 minutes and longer if the room temperature is colder.
Preheat oven to 325f.
Divide dough into balls (size of your choice). Flatten balls and put into lined baking tray which has been sprinkled with flour..
Let dough rest for another 15 minutes, sprinkle with flour and put into preheated oven to bake.
Bake for 10 - 12 minites, do not let paeng brown, the aim is to get white milky paeng.
Cool paeng and store in air-tight container.
Ingredients:
Dough Starter:
135g cake/superfine flour, sifted
45g pau flour, sifted
1 tsp instant yeast
A pinch of salt
100g water
The Main Ingredients:
300 gm self rising flour
100gm yeast dough starter
150gm white sugar
1 large egg
30 gm lard
3 tbsp evaporated milk
Preparation for dough starter::
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix and knead (by hand or by mixer) until dough is smooth and elastic.
Place dough in an oiled bowl and covered with cling film. Prove for 11/2-2 hour until dough is double in volume.
Reserve the required portion for this recipe and store the rest in an air tight container and freeze. Thaw to room temperature the next time you want to use the dough starter.
To make Kong So Paeng:
Mix the starter dough with sugar, lard, eggand evaporated milk, until well combined.. Add in the flour and mix until a dough forms.
Lightly knead dough and let dough rest for 30 minutes and longer if the room temperature is colder.
Preheat oven to 325f.
Divide dough into balls (size of your choice). Flatten balls and put into lined baking tray which has been sprinkled with flour..
Let dough rest for another 15 minutes, sprinkle with flour and put into preheated oven to bake.
Bake for 10 - 12 minites, do not let paeng brown, the aim is to get white milky paeng.
Cool paeng and store in air-tight container.
TQ Lily. Haven't eaten this since I was a little girl. I used to get this from the nearby temple in Klang, Selangor.
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to buy this. I completely forgot about it. Will you please educate us what pau flour is. Do you have a picture of the package you can share? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you and Thank you again for this recipe. I have been searching for this "paeng" for so long and none seem to know about it. Last time I have this "paeng" was over 25 yrs ago! As you stated it doesn't have much taste but this "paeng" remind me of my mom who will saved a penny here and there because that's all she can afford and it's the cheapest kuih so she can buy us one or two of this "paeng" and this was such a special treat for us as kids. Thank you again, this recipe mean so much to me because of my mom and the struggles that she went through to provided for us and this paeng was like a little sweet heaven for us and you given this little sweet heaven back to me again and it bring home closer to me. Thank you.
ReplyDeletewendy
ReplyDeletepau flour is so called cos it is good for making very white and soft pau. it has the least of gluten present than cake flour, if both cake and pau flour are not available, use bleached all purpose , remove 2 tbsp and replace with cornstarch/flour.
my little chateau
ReplyDeleteyou are most welcome. Our mothers are a unique group of that era, the sacrifices they made for their children were beyond what i can put down in words. The only words that i have to say is 'Thank you, mother"
It's been years since I last had one of this. Originated from HK. It's like baby rusk (baby biscuit) very light and not much taste.
ReplyDeleteI have never made this. Have seen recipe without lard or yeast, using 50:50 superfine bleached flour with cornflour (cornstarch), sugar syrup, egg whites and several leavening like baking powder, bicarb and ammonia bicarb (chao fen)
If anyone like to know the Chinese name is 光酥餅
sunflower
ReplyDeletethanks for the tips and the chinese name. If only i had the chinese name earlier, then can google for more info about this paeng.
thanks
Hi Lily
ReplyDeleteI've just found a recipe from one of my very old Chinese written recipe book. Very similar to yours with added 2 egg whites instead of 1 whole egg and baking powder. Maybe I will give it a try and let you know.
The other recipe I have seen before uses to much different leavens probably put me off trying or copied down the recipe.
sunflower
ReplyDeletegood job, please do try and share the recipe.
i think 2 egg whites would be better if the paeng is to be whitish where the whole egg made the paeng slightly yellowish.
Oh my goodness...I was looking for this recipe to make kong so paeng for a long long time...and I used to buy it from a bakery in Chinatown , Singapore and I love to eat them since I was a little girl....especially when there iS a lot of dusted flour on it...It is delicious and light....it brings back memories when I eat it...I miss this paeng a lot...now I can make it at home...thks lily....
ReplyDeleteI actually quite like this biscuit due to the light texture, almost like a soft cookie, and it's just lightly sweetened. I can down a few at one go.
ReplyDeleteHi Lily!
ReplyDeleteThanks heaps for sharing this classic recipe with us. My sis and I are very fond of this biscuit as it carries with it lots of bittersweet memories :) We don't have this over at our Chinatown bakeries and you have absolutely no idea how alienated I felt inquiring or talking about this biscuit unknown to most, as though it never existed and I was completely delusional! i would love to bake and surprise my sis with these goodies but first I would truly appreciate if anyone out here can help clarify the following for me:
- what type of lard do you use for this recipe? I don't think butter is the answer here as it gives out a completely different taste. I once baked "ma lai koh" using a block of vegetable lard. It's solid white, almost transparent and utterly tasteless! Is that suitable or is it something I have to get specifically from an Asian grocer?
-Also with the cake or superfine flour - is this the same as wheat flour?
Once again, thanks for sharing :)
mnaughtybynature
ReplyDeletefor the superfine flour you can use wheat flour and for the lard, the block you buy from the supermarket is ok by me but if you like that smoky smell present in lard, then you would have to get a slab of pork fat, cut them into cubes and either pan fry them or put them in a microwave safe bowl and render the fat.
Ha. All the while I thought it was called 大福饼. My grandpa loved to buy this from Chinatown whenever he went down there to work. I missed him n d biscuit n all d sweet memories he brought for us. Thanks. I will definitely go to NTUC tomorrow to get ingredients n try making it.
ReplyDeleteHi lily, can I make an order from u?
ReplyDeleteolivia
ReplyDeleteplease do try out making them
When do we add in the evaporated milk? Thanks.
ReplyDeletewoan cheng alison
ReplyDeletei am sorry i have left it out, i have amended. thank you for letting me know
Hi lily, what do you mean by Prove for 11/2-2 hour?
ReplyDeletethomas
ReplyDeleteprove means to leave the knead dough to rest covered so that the yeast can work. This procedure applies to all yeasted dough