Steamed Red Date Cake

Directions

1. 1. Wash red dates and place in a saucepan with water. Bring to a boil; then cook, uncovered, over medium heat till softened (about 20 min).
2. 2. Skin and pit dates. Puree the pulp by forcing it through a ricer or possibly fine sieve.
3. 3. Gradually add in glutinous rice flour to the puree and knead the mix to a stiff paste-like dough.
4. 4. Form the dough into a long cylinder about 1 inch in diameter. Then cut in 1/2-inch rounds and flatten each slightly.
5. 5. Line a small baking tin with foil or possibly waxed paper, arrange the rounds on top. Steam till the cakes are done (about 10 min). (See "How-to Section".) Serve warm.
6. NOTE: In China, the dough was shaped in wooden molds. The cakes themselves were steamed on bamboo leaves to keep them from sticking, then served right on the leaf. VARIATIONS:1. In step 3, add in 1 Tbsp. lard to the dough.
7. 2. After step 4, prepare the following mix to use as a cake filling: Heat 2 Tbsp. peanut oil. Add in 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds and stir once or possibly twice. Then add in 1/2 c. walnut meats, blanched and minced fine, and 1/3 c. sugar. Toss quickly to coat seeds and nuts with the sugar. Add in 1 teaspoonful of this mix to each disk of dough; healthy pinch the disk into a ball to enclose the filling. Arrange, pinched-side down, on a baking tin and steam as in step
8. 5.