Scalded Dough Oil Cakes

Scalded Dough Oil Cakes

　　Scalded Dough Oil Cakes are a traditional snack, often enjoyed as a breakfast item, and are especially popular in western Sichuan. The way to make them: pound brown sugar into a paste using a stick, mix it with flour and melted lard to form the filling; slowly add flour to boiling water while stirring vigorously until a hot water dough is formed, then remove from heat and let it cool. Add an appropriate amount of flour and knead well, then divide into 50-gram pieces; flatten each piece into a wrapper, wrap in the brown sugar filling, roll into strips about 8 cm long and 5 cm wide, press into an ox-tongue shape, and deep-fry in oil until golden brown before removing from the pan. These cakes are crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, sweet and fragrant, delicious and affordable, making them a top-tier snack. They are best served hot, and because the sugar filling is semi-liquid, they are also known as “Flowing Sugar Oil Cakes.” (Chengdu)