Rose pastry

Rose pastry

　　   Rose pastry is one of Beijing’s famous traditional seasonal pastries. Also known as “Imperial Rose Fire Pastry,” it features a clear, flaky crust, a soft and tender texture, and a rich rose fragrance.

　　　　      In early March in Beijing, when wisteria pastries have just been enjoyed, the lunar month of April marks the season when roses are in full bloom. Making pastries with rose petals is a beloved seasonal delicacy among Beijingers. In the old days, it was also a snack enjoyed by wealthy families. The Qing Dynasty publication "Qing Bai Lei Chao" states: “Rose filling: Remove the rose calyxes and white petals. Take only the pure purple petals, mash them into a paste, and soak them briefly in plum water. Grind finely, then strain the juice using a fine cloth. Add white sugar, grind again until very fine, and store in a porcelain container. It is extremely fragrant and sweet.”

　　　　   Rose pastry is a type of sweet-filled, flaky pastry. To make it, fresh rose petals from Miaofeng Mountain are picked, the petals separated from the calyxes, washed clean with water, then pickled and mixed with stir-fried honey syrup to create the rose filling. The dough is made by layering and folding premium flour dough with fermented dough, then wrapping the filling, flattening it into round shapes, and stamping them with the characters “rose fine pastry” along with floral designs. After baking in an oven, the rose pastry is complete.

　　　　   [Main Ingredients]

　　　　   500g refined flour, 50g rose jam, 200g white sugar.

　　　　   [Secondary Ingredients]

　　　　   75g walnut kernels, 200g cooked lard, 15g sesame seeds, 85g steamed flour, 175g water.

　　　　   [Method]

　　　　   1. First, mix the steamed flour, white sugar, chopped walnut kernels, rose jam, and sesame seeds on the work surface. Then add 25g of cooked lard and knead by hand into a smooth filling.

　　　　   2. Mix 200g of refined flour with 100g of lard by hand until evenly combined to form an oily dough. Separately, pour 300g of water into a basin, add 75g of lard first, knead into a stringy mixture, then add water and knead into a firm yet soft dough to form the wrapper.

　　　　   3. Divide both doughs into 20 equal portions on the work surface. Flatten the wrapper portions by hand, wrap each around an oily dough portion, then roll out flat into a rectangle, roll up, and flatten again. Repeat this process twice. Finally, roll each into a small log about 3cm long, flatten, wrap in the filling, seal, and shape into a round pastry. Stamp a red dot in the center of each pastry, place in the oven, and bake over low heat for about 10 minutes until done.

　　　　   [Features]

　　　　   White in color, fragrant and delicious, with a flaky, sweet, and pleasant taste.