Good fortune (cake) in the new year
Chinese New Year is deeply rooted in tradition. Growing up, I have vivid memories of sitting around a giant wooden cutting board with my family—my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There was laughter and boisterous conversation while hands never stopped moving, some kneading, some rolling, some skillfully putting filling into dumpling wrappers, some making the dipping sauce. The culmination of the holiday was—and still is—a CCTV variety show of song, dance, comedy, acrobatics, magic, and more. As a child, I was dazzled. As an adult, I now cringe at the overly-enthusiastic smiling faces and bizarrely patriotic, propagandist skits.
This Fortune Cake | 发糕 recipe is not part of my childhood New Year's tradition. However, having already made Dumplings | 饺子, I thought I'd go a different route. It's incredibly easy to make, which might be easier on your surely-packed Chinese New Year schedule. Start with four simple ingredients: flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and hot water.
The brown sugar will get dissolved in the water while the flour and baking powder are combined. I used 1/3 cup sugar in this recipe but you can also use a 1/2 cup. What I've noticed is that White People desserts tend to be way sweeter than Chinese desserts. We like a hint of sweetness. White People are like it ain't dessert unless it tastes like a sugar bomb.
The next step is to beat everything together with a wire whisk and then evenly distribute in three ramekins. Be sure to whisk vigorously for several minutes to make the cakes extra light and fluffy.
Most Chinese desserts are steamed, because baking isn't really part of the Chinese cooking repertoire. I remember visiting Nainai one year when my uncle had installed an oven in her apartment. She used it purely for storing pots and pans.
Set up your bamboo steamer in a wok, making sure there's plenty of water in the bottom that will accommodate 25 minutes of cook time.
Place the ramekins inside.
Cover and steam—try to refrain from lifting the lid throughout the process. If you really can't resist at least wait until past the ten minute mark. I made these while White Boyfriend was on a business trip. When he came home he said, "What are these weird bread things? Can I eat them?" Well, technically you should wait until Chinese New Year.
For the straight-up Fortune Cake recipe, click here.