No matter how stuffed I feel after feasting on a dozen or so different types of savory dim sum, I ALWAYS make room for sweets. I swear I must have a 2nd stomach reserved just for dessert. As a child it was an almost painful exercise in restraint for me to sit through the savory portion before my parents would even entertain the thought of ordering sweets. I was riddled with anxiety watching all my favorite desserts roll by other tables, witnessing what appeared to be the last plate of black sesame rolls disappear.

To this day, I invariably think of desserts first, regardless of the restaurant. Even if the dessert offerings are mediocre, I still plan to have something…maybe elsewhere. At a dim sum restaurant, odds are I will have options–many options in fact. The question is usually how many desserts can I possibly eat?

It all depends on the level of expertise of their pastry chefs and extent of their offerings. One of my favorite Chinese restaurants, Mayflower in Milpitas, has excellent desserts so it’s pretty easy for me to sample 6-8 sweets at a given seating. Like I said, I have a back-up stomach.

That is not to say I order desserts willy-nilly, no matter how big my sweet tooth. I’m not “bean” person, so unless it’s smooth red bean paste encased in a crispy fried sesame ball I’d probably pass. I also tend to steer clear of the things that remind me of pre-packaged dessert mixes you’d find at Asian markets–like mango pudding, almond jello with fruit cocktail, etc. The only exception is Hong Kong-style Coconut Milk Pudding which has a kind of jello-like texture but much fluffier. It’s not easy to find on a restaurant menu, much less made well, so I keep my eye out for a place that has a good one, or I should say authentic one.

What makes it authentic? The Hong Kong version has whipped egg whites folded into the gelled coconut milk base, which gives it its signature fluffy texture. Without the meringue, it’s nothing more than a coconut milk jello. The problem with many online recipes is that they call for whipped raw egg whites or simple meringue, which I’m totally against–for food safety and stability reasons. To mitigate those concerns, I came up with a recipe that uses a cooked Italian meringue, which is far more stable (stronger cell structure) and safer to consume–it won’t start “weeping” after a day.

A sweet dim sum speciality that’s perhaps easier to find is Black Sesame Roll–a steamed dessert that’s made from ground toasted black sesame seeds, rice flour, water chestnut flour, and sugar. The method of making it is similar to the rice noodle sheet. A very fluid batter is poured out in a thin layer and quickly steamed until set, then rolled up. When I was kid I used to call it “Kodak film” because I could unroll it like a long strip of film negative. I still love unfurling it to eat like fruit leather. It took 3 attempts to devise a recipe that yielded the appropriate amount of chew or zhong. Plain rice flour is readily available, however water chestnut flour is another story. I found mine on the highest shelf of the flour/starch section at my neighborhood Asian market. It has coarse, granular texture. And, unfortunately cannot be substituted for another starch for this particular recipe.

As far as egg custard desserts go, most people will immediately reach for the flaky custard tart (who wouldn’t?). But if you’re gluten-intolerant or just not into rich flaky pastry (yes, there are those people), bite-sized Custard-Filled Sweet Rice Cakes are a great alternative, especially if you love mochi. My friends David and Irene are custard sweet rice cake aficionados, particularly the ones from Ton Kiang.

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The dough is similar to the one I used for the Hom Suey Gok and Fried Sesame Balls, minus the wheat starch and baking powder–so is the process of filling and forming them. The firm custard filling is same as the one I used for the Custard Bao. Instead of steaming the rice cakes, the little flattened disks are pan-fried in a skillet with a little oil until light golden brown on both sides.

If I could order these 3 desserts, along with maybe something fried and something baked, I’d be a happy camper!

Coconut Milk “Pudding”

Yield: 16 squares

• 1 c. coconut milk (full-fat)
• 1 c. whole milk
• 1 1/4 c. cold water, divided
• 1/2 t. coconut extract
• 2 T. + 2 t. gelatin powder
• 1/2 c. + 1 T. sugar
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• pinch of sea salt

1. Whisk together 1 c. water and gelatin powder; set aside to soften for 5 mins.
2. Heat the milk on the stove or microwave until scalding hot, then whisk in the soften gelatin until gelatin is completely melted.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the hot milk mixture into the coconut milk and coconut extract. Chill mixture until thickened (not partially set).
4. In a small sauce pan whisk together the remaining 1/4 c. water with the sugar just to dissolve, then cook the syrup to 245F degrees. Meanwhile place the whites and pinch of salt in stand mixer and whip on medium speed to firm peaks.
5. With the mixer running, carefully stream in the hot syrup between the side of the mixer bowl and whip attachment. Increase speed to high and whip whites until stiff and glossy.
6. Reduce speed to medium low and gradually beat in the thickened coconut base until fully incorporated.
7. Pour the coconut mixture into a lightly greased 8″ x 2″ square pan and chill until firmly set.
8. Run a paring knife along the sides to loosen pudding, then invert onto a cutting board and cut into 16 squares.

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Black Sesame Rolls

Yield: about 12 skinny or 6 fat double rolls

• 4 oz. black sesame powder or ground toasted black sesame seeds
• 2/3 c. rice flour (not glutinous)
• 2/3 c. water chestnut flour
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 1/4 c. water, divided
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 t. toasted sesame oil
• 8″ square pan or 9″x7″x1″ sheet pan
• oil for greasing pans

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1. In a medium bowl, whisk together black sesame powder, rice flour, water chestnut flour, salt, and 3/4 c. water.
2. Heat remaining 1 1/2 c. water in small saucepan and whisk in the sugar to dissolve.
3. Whisk the hot sugar syrup and sesame oil into the other ingredients until smooth, then strain batter through a fine sieve.
4. Lightly brush pan with oil and set it on a rack over boiling water or in a steamer basket. Pour a very thin even layer of batter to cover the entire surface (about 1/4 c.). Cover and steam on high for 3 mins.
5. Cool the steamed black sesame sheet for a couple of mins., then loosen edges and roll into a pinwheel.
6. To serve, slice each roll into 3 pieces.

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Custard-Filled Sweet Rice Cakes

Yield: 18 small cakes

Filling:

• 2 large yolks
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 T. cake flour
• 1/2 c. whole milk
• 3 T. unsalted butter
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract

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1. Whisk together yolks and sugar until slightly thick, then whisk in cake flour.
2. Combine the milk, butter and salt in a sauce pan. Heat through to completely melt the butter.
3. Carefully whisk the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, then transfer everything back into the sauce pan.
4. Whisk the mixture on medium low heat until very thick.
5. Transfer the custard into a shallow container and press a layer of plastic wrap against the surface. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
6. Scoop set custard into 18 balls (about a rounded teaspoon).

Dough:

• 1 3/4 c. glutinous rice flour
• 3 T. sugar
• 3/4 c. boiling hot water
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 1/2 T. neutral oil

1. Place the rice flour in medium bowl and make a well in the center.
2. Whisk sugar and salt into the hot water to dissolve, then pour the liquid into the well and quick stir together to form a dough.
3. Knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth mass, then knead in the oil.
4. Roll the dough out into a long log and divide into 18 equal portions. Keep the unused portions covered under plastic wrap as you roll and form the cakes.
5. Roll and press each piece out into an approximately 3″ disk, the edges being thinner than the center. Place a small pre-scooped ball of custard in the center, wrap the edges around it and pinch to completely seal. Gently flatten the ball into a !/2″ thick disk between your hands. *Keep the formed disks covered until ready to pan fry.
6. Heat a skillet with little oil under low heat. Pan fry 4-5 disks at a time, until lightly golden on each side.