Yunnan Rose Flower Cake

Ingredients

• 200 g plain flour, for the water dough
• 30 g caster sugar
• 60 g lard or unsalted butter, softened
• 85 ml warm water
• 150 g plain flour, for the oil dough
• 75 g lard or unsalted butter, softened
• 150 g rose petal jam made from edible roses
• 40 g glutinous rice flour
• 20 g honey
• 15 g lard, melted
• 25 g walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1 tbsp dried rose petals

Before you cook

• Toast the glutinous rice flour in a dry pan over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells nutty and no longer tastes raw.
• Mix the rose petal jam, toasted glutinous rice flour, honey, melted lard and chopped walnuts into a stiff paste.
• Roll the rose paste into 12 balls and chill them.
• Rub 60 grams of lard into 200 grams of flour with the caster sugar, then add the warm water and knead to a smooth soft dough.
• Rub 75 grams of lard into 150 grams of flour and knead to a firm putty-like dough.
• Wrap both doughs and rest them for 30 minutes at cool room temperature.
• Heat the oven to 180C fan and line two baking trays.

Steps

1. Divide the water dough into 12 pieces and the oil dough into 12 pieces.
2. Flatten one piece of water dough and wrap it fully around a piece of oil dough, pinching the seam shut.
3. Wrap the remaining eleven the same way, then rest them under a cloth for 10 minutes.
4. Roll one parcel into an oval about 12 centimetres long, then roll it up from the short end.
5. Repeat with all twelve and rest them under the cloth for another 10 minutes.
6. Stand one roll on its end, press it flat and roll it out to a long oval again, then roll it up once more.
7. Do the same with the rest and rest them for a final 10 minutes.
8. Stand one roll on its end, press it down and roll it into a round about 9 centimetres across.
9. Set a ball of rose paste in the centre and gather the pastry up over it, pinching the seam closed.
10. Turn the cake seam side down on the tray and press it gently to a 5 centimetre disc.
11. Shape the remaining eleven cakes the same way, spacing them well apart.
12. Brush the tops lightly with beaten egg yolk and press a few dried rose petals into the centre of each.
13. Bake for 22 minutes, until the cakes are set and only just blushed with colour.
14. Cool the cakes on a rack for at least 20 minutes before eating, as the filling holds its heat.