Bean Paste Stuffed Loquats
A delicate Suzhou-style dessert: fresh loquats are pitted, stuffed with smooth sweet bean paste, steamed, and drizzled with osmanthus syrup — fruity and fragrant, soft and sweet.
Ingredients
5 items- Loquats 8
- Sweet red bean paste 150 g
- Rock sugar 30 g
- Dried osmanthus flowers 2 g
- Water as needed
Nutrition
Steps (8 steps)
Wash loquats. Cut a small lid from the top of each. Using a small spoon, carefully remove the pit and white membrane, keeping the fruit intact.
Place bean paste in a bowl; if too dry, add a little hot water to smooth. Mix in 10 g crushed rock sugar to sweeten lightly.
Fill each loquat cavity firmly with the bean paste, without overflowing. Replace the lid to restore the shape.
Arrange stuffed loquats in a shallow dish. Steam over high heat then turn to medium, cook for 8–10 minutes until loquats are softened but not mushy. Drain and reserve the liquid.
In a small saucepan, combine 50 ml water and the remaining rock sugar. Heat over low, stirring until dissolved. Add dried osmanthus and cook until the syrup slightly thickens.
Pour the reserved steaming liquid into the osmanthus syrup. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2–3 minutes.
Pour the thickened syrup evenly over the steamed loquats. Sprinkle with a pinch of dried osmanthus. Let rest for a few minutes to absorb the flavors.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Each bite delivers a soft, sweet harmony of bean paste and fragrant loquats.
Tips
Choose ripe but firm loquats; very soft ones may collapse. Remove pits gently to avoid tearing the skin. For a richer flavor, the bean paste can be stir-fried with lard, but this is a lighter version. Do not oversteam; keep the loquat shape intact. The osmanthus syrup can be made ahead.
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