These pancakes are chewy black sesame-stuffed nuggets that are great for snacking. The dough is finicky to handle, but they fry up beautifully.
Ingredients
For the black sesame sugar:
2tablespoonsblack sesame seeds
2tablespoonssugar
2tablespoonsbrown sugar
For the pancakes:
3/4cupcookedmashed sweet potato (baking the potato yields the best and sweetest flavor, but you can also microwave or steam it)
10tablespoonssweet rice or glutinous rice flour
½tablespoonsugarmore to taste
white or black sesame seedsfor garnish (optional)
Instructions
Rinse your sesame seeds in a very fine mesh strainer and then toast in a skillet over medium heat until they begin to pop. In a food processor, add the toasted sesame seeds and sugars. Process until fully combined and the seeds have reached the consistency of sugar (do not overprocess to a paste).
Stir the sweet potato together with the sweet rice flour and sugar until fully combined. Add more rice flour, a tablespoon at a time if the dough seems unmanageable sticky. You can add additional sweetener to compensate for any added starch to taste.
Start preheating a lightly greased pan over medium heat. Scoop out slightly mounded tablespoons of dough at a time and flatten in your palm. Fill with ½ teaspoon of black sesame sugar and gently fold the edges of the pancake over the mound of sesame sugar. This can be a finicky process; I’ve found wetting my hands with a little water helps keep the dough from sticking quite as much.
Press a few sesame seeds on top (this is purely for aesthetic purposes).
Nudge the tablespoon of dough directly from your palm into the pan. These are so delicate that I found I had to cook them as I made them; there can be no transferring of the pancakes from your palm to anywhere else lest you tear them.
Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden. Eat warm!
Notes
The recipe as written will make more than double the amount of sesame sugar you'll need, but I wasn't sure if my food processor would manage to properly process half the amount. Use the rest to make another batch, or throw it into a frosting for an interesting kick!Black sesame sugar from here, pancakes adapted from here.