Special Tikoy

Ingredients:

1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp. milk
3 ¼ cups or 400 grams glutinous rice flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
7 oz boiling water
½ cup Chinese dates, softened in water, cut in half, pits removed, or ½ cup other dried fruit or ¼ dates and ¼ cup nuts
Water, as needed
1 tbsp vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray

Cooking Procedure:

1. Prepare the wok for steaming.
2. In a bowl, mix the boiling water and the sugar. Stir constantly to dissolve. (If using peen tong, break the candy into several pieces, so that it will dissolve more easily in the boiling water.) Cool.
3. Soak the Chinese dates in hot water for at least 30 minutes to soften. Another way is to place them in a bowl with water and microwave on high heat for 30 seconds. Cut the dates in half and remove the pits.
4. Place the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl. Make a hole in the middle and add in the sugar and water mixture. Add the milk and begin shaping the dough. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the dough at a time, until you have a smooth dough with a satiny texture. Mix ½-¾ of the Chinese dates, nuts or other dried fruit as you are adding water and working with the dough.
5. Grease a 7 inch square cake pan with vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray. Place the dough in the cake pan and spread it out to the edges. Decorate with the remaining dates, lightly pushing them into the dough. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
6. Steam the cake over medium-high to high heat for 45 minutes or until the edges of the cake pull away from the pan. Remove the cake from the heat and cool.
7. Use a knife to loosen the edges, then remove the cake. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate overnight.


Tips:

•You can serve the cake as is or reheat it in the microwave (the amount of time will depend on the size and power of your microwave-start with 10 seconds and then microwave an extra 5 seconds if needed) or re-steam it for 4-5 minutes.
•Another way to serve is to pan-fry the cake, dipping the cake in an egg wash before frying. Use a small amount of oil so that the cake will not taste oily. Heat the oil on medium-high to high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and brown the cake slices briefly on both sides.