Hang Yan Dau Fu
手打杏仁豆腐·(shou da hang yan dau fu)
Chapter 5: Sweets & Tea
A chilled steel tray, a grid scored with a wet knife, a scatter of canned lychees. Crafted from sweet and bitter apricot kernels and set using the hand-beaten method, the pristine white diamonds contain neither tofu nor almonds. Instead of relying on cheap gelatin or brittle agar-agar, we use tuber starch and rigorous heat, beating the seizing paste relentlessly over the stove—a labor that shortcut versions can never touch—until it yields a bouncy, chewy texture. After navigating a wreckage of empty bamboo steamers and grease-stained stamp cards, the table quiets, and the cold cubes slip down.
Before you start
Soak the kernels and peanuts overnight.
Place the sweet Southern apricot kernels, bitter Northern apricot kernels, and raw skinless peanuts in a large bowl, cover with at least 2 inches of cold water, and leave on the counter for 8 to 16 hours to hydrate for milling and mellow the bitter notes.
Ingredients
- sweet Southern apricot kernels3/4 cup
- bitter Northern apricot kernels1/4 cup
- raw skinless peanuts1/4 cup
- filtered water1 3/4 cup
- filtered water1 1/4 cup
- Japanese potato starch1 cup
- whole milk3/4 cup
- yellow rock sugar1/3 cup
- filtered water2 cup
- rock sugar1/2 cup
- dried osmanthus flowers1 tbsp
- high-quality fruit cocktail15 oz
Method
- 01
Grind the soaked kernels into milk.
Drain the soaked apricot kernels and peanuts, rinse them thoroughly under cold running water, and transfer them to a high-speed blender with 1 3/4 cups of filtered water. Blend on the highest speed for two full minutes until the liquid is entirely opaque, white, and frothy.
- 02
Extract the raw kernel milk.
Set a fine-mesh sieve lined with a nut-milk bag or a double layer of cheesecloth over a large bowl and pour in the blended slurry. Twist the bag closed and use your hands to wring it aggressively, extracting every drop of fragrant milk before discarding the dry, sandy pulp.
- 03
Prepare the starch slurry.
In a medium bowl, combine the Japanese potato starch with the remaining 1 1/4 cups of filtered water and whisk vigorously until the starch is completely suspended. It will feel hard and resistant at the bottom of the bowl, which is exactly how it should be.
- 04
Simmer the milk to neutralize the kernels.
In a heavy-bottomed wok or pot, combine the freshly squeezed apricot kernel milk, whole milk, and crushed yellow rock sugar over medium heat. Once it reaches a rolling simmer, allow it to cook for at least 5 minutes; this is a non-negotiable step to neutralize the trace amygdalin in the bitter Northern kernels.
- 05
Hand-beat the seizing tofu paste.
Turn the heat to low, give the starch slurry a final whisk, and pour it into the simmering milk in a slow, steady stream. It will immediately seize into a heavy, gluey paste; drop the whisk, grab a sturdy spatula, and relentlessly beat the mixture against the sides of the pot for 3 to 5 minutes until the dough turns glossy, translucent, and highly elastic.
- 06
Set and chill the tofu.
Scrape the hot, sticky mass into a lightly oiled 8x8-inch dish, pressing a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours until entirely firm.
- 07
Brew the floral osmanthus syrup.
In a small saucepan, bring the remaining 2 cups of filtered water and 1/2 cup of rock sugar to a boil until dissolved, then turn off the heat, stir in the dried osmanthus flowers, cover, and steep until cool before refrigerating.
- 08
Slice and serve for cart-service presentation.
Turn the chilled block of almond tofu onto a cutting board and slice it into 1-inch diamonds using a knife dipped in cold water. Divide among small bowls, ladle the cold floral syrup over the top, garnish with spoonfuls of chilled fruit cocktail, and serve immediately alongside hot jasmine tea.
Notes
Do not swap the starch.
Cornstarch will not yield the correct stretch or texture. Japanese potato starch (katakuriko) or high-quality sweet potato starch is strictly required to achieve the resilient, mochi-like Q-texture that defines the hand-beaten method.
Never consume Northern kernels raw.
Bei Xing contains cyanogenic glycosides that must be cooked to be neutralized. Do not skip the soaking or the 5-minute rolling boil.
Coordinate the cart service.
Dim sum is a game of advanced prep. Make this dessert the day before so it achieves that perfect resilient bounce, leaving your morning free to focus on the hot-water dough for your har gow and the shimmering oil for your pot stickers.
From Cook Dim Sum at Home.