Rose Flower Pastry (Xianhua Bing)
Local name: 鲜花饼
In short: Flaky layered pastries from Yunnan filled with a fragrant paste of rose petal jam, walnuts and sesame, baked until golden. It takes about 1 h 28 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 1 h
- Cook
- 28 min
- Resting
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 h 28 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Calories
- 290 kcal
Xianhua bing, or fresh flower cake, is a specialty of Yunnan, where edible roses grow in large quantities. A flaky crust, made from an oil dough wrapped inside a water dough and rolled into layers, encloses a fragrant filling of rose petals, nuts and sesame. The pastries are small, lightly sweet and good with tea. The layers take patience, but the technique is straightforward, and the whole kitchen smells of roses while they bake.
Instructions
- For the water dough, mix the flour, sugar, oil and warm water and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. For the oil dough, stir the flour and oil into a smooth paste. Cover both and rest the water dough for 30 minutes.
- Toast the glutinous rice flour in a dry pan over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until pale gold, then cool. Mix it with the jam, walnuts, sesame and honey into a firm paste. Divide into 8 balls and chill.
- Divide each dough into 8 pieces. Flatten a piece of water dough, wrap it around a piece of oil dough and pinch it closed.
- Roll each into a 10 cm (4 in) oval, roll it up like a rug and rest for 5 minutes. Turn the roll 90 degrees, roll it out again, roll it up and rest for 10 minutes.
- Flatten each roll with the spiral facing up, wrap it around a ball of filling and pinch it shut. Gently press into a disc about 6 cm (2.5 in) wide.
- Set the pastries seam side down on a lined tray. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25 to 28 minutes until golden, then cool on a rack.
Tips
- Use only rose petals sold for eating, grown without pesticides, either as jam or dried petals. Florist roses are not safe to eat.
- Traditional recipes use lard in the dough for extra flakiness. Neutral oil works well, and the pastries stay vegetarian.
Questions and answers
Do flower pastries taste strongly of roses?
They have a gentle floral flavor, balanced by walnut and sesame. If you like a stronger rose taste, add 1 more tablespoon of jam to the filling.
How long do rose pastries keep?
They keep for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. The crust is best crisp, so refresh them in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 5 minutes.
Can I freeze xianhua bing?
Yes. Freeze the shaped, unbaked pastries on a tray, then bag them. Brush with egg wash and bake from frozen, adding 5 to 8 minutes.
How long does it take to make Rose Flower Pastry (Xianhua Bing)?
About 1 h 28 min in total: 1 h of preparation and 28 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Rose Flower Pastry (Xianhua Bing)?
About 290 kcal per serving, with 5 g of protein, 38 g of carbohydrates and 13 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 290 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Sodium | 15 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
