Sesame Balls with Peanut Filling

Method

1. 1
   • water1¾ dl
   • peanuts100 g
   • brown sugar50 g
   • desiccated coconut30 g
   • salt1 pinch
   • vegetable oil8 dl

   Make the peanut filling — Crush the peanuts to coarse rubble in a bag with a rolling pin — a paste will leak out in the oil. Mix with the brown sugar, coconut, salt and a tablespoon of the water, press firmly into twelve balls the size of a walnut and chill for 15 minutes.

   ⏱15 min
2. 2
   • glutinous rice flour200 g
   • white sugar90 g
   • water1¾ dl

   Knead the rice flour dough — Dissolve the white sugar in 150 ml of very hot water, then pour it over the glutinous rice flour in a bowl. Stir with chopsticks until cool enough to handle, then knead for about 5 minutes into a soft, smooth dough with the feel of an earlobe; add water a teaspoon at a time if it cracks.

3. 3
   • peanuts100 g
   • vegetable oil8 dl

   Fill and seal the balls — Divide the dough into twelve pieces and flatten each into a disc about 8 cm across, leaving the middle a little thicker. Sit a peanut ball in the centre, draw the edges up and over it and pinch the seam shut, then roll smooth between your palms. Any crack will burst in the hot oil.

4. 4
   • sesame seeds80 g
   • vegetable oil8 dl

   Coat in sesame seeds — Wet your hands and dampen each ball, then roll it through the sesame seeds on a plate, pressing firmly so they embed. Roll once more between your palms to lock the seeds in, or they will drop off into the oil.

5. 5
   • vegetable oil8 dl

   Fry low to hollow the shells — Heat the oil in a deep pan to 140 °C — no hotter, or the shells colour before they can expand. Slide in six balls and fry for about 8 minutes, pressing each one gently against the side of the pan with a slotted spoon every minute or so; this is what coaxes the shell out hollow.

   ⏱8 min
6. 6
   • vegetable oil8 dl

   Raise the heat to colour — Raise the heat until the oil reaches 175 °C and fry for 2 to 3 minutes more, turning, until the balls are deep golden and feel surprisingly light in the spoon. Drain on a rack and repeat with the second batch.

   ⏱3 min
7. 7

   Let the filling cool a little — Let them stand for 5 minutes before eating: the filling comes out of the pan molten. They are at their best warm, on the day they are fried, while the shell still shatters.

   ⏱5 min