Chinese Sesame Smiling Cookie Balls / Laughing Balls (笑口枣)
Course: Chinese New Year
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 15 minutesminutes
Rest the dough:: 15 minutesminutes
Total Time: 45 minutesminutes
Servings: 16small balls
Author: Marvellina
These cute smiling sesame balls are popular Chinese New Year snacks. They are slightly sweet, crisp on the outside like a cookie, and soft inside like a cake. All the tips you need to make sure the balls crack open and smile at you.
Place the flour in a mixing bowl. Add oil and roughly mix with a spatula then use your clean hands to rub the oil into the flour. The result will resemble crumbs. This will make a tender and finer crumbs
Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Crack one large egg in a bowl and then beat it. Pour only half of the beaten egg into the flour mixture. Save the other half for other use. Add 1 Tbsp of milk. Combine with your hand to form a dough. If it's a bit too dry, add a bit more milk. You should be able to form a rough dough. Cover and let it rests for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour (I only do 15 minutes)
After 15 minutes, roll the dough into a long log and roll it smoother and then cut into 16 equal pieces of dough. Roll them into round balls. Keep them covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Work with one at a time
Coat the balls in sesame seeds:
Prepare a cup of water. Wet your fingers and slightly wet each ball and then roll in sesame seeds to cover all the surface of the balls. Repeat with the rest
Deep fry the balls:
Preheat about 2 inches of oil. The temperature of the oil is important when it comes to frying these smiling balls. If the oil is too hot, the balls won't crack open and smile. They will just fry into small round balls. I recommend measuring the oil temperature with a thermometer. It should be maintained at 285 F (140 C), which is about between medium and low heat
Fry about 5-6 balls at a time. The balls will sink to the bottom of the oil at first and there won't be any bubbles around them yet. A Few minutes later they will start to float up. Gently roll them around as they fry (don't be tempted to crank up the heat). Continue to fry at this level of heat until they start to crack open nicely and nicely golden brown. Remove from the oil to an absorbent paper towel
Repeat with the rest. Measure the oil again to make sure it's not too hot or cold. Let them cool down a bit before serving
Notes
You can make your own "cake flour" by using 1 cup of all-purpose flour (spoon and level) and then remove 2 Tbsp of the flour and add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch.