Fried Sesame Balls With Spiced Caramel Filling
The inside of these crispy, chewy sesame balls contain quite a festive and comforting familiar caramel loaded with your favorite holiday spices. These make for an unassuming and yet surprising dessert at any dinner party.
Disclosure
The equipment and ingredients sections contain affiliate links to products I love to use as well as items that I personally believe make this recipe the best version of itself.
Ingredients
Spiced Caramel Filling
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 8 teaspoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Sesame Ball
- 1¼ cups glutinous rice flour
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup water warm, 50°C (120°F) - 60°C (140°F)
Other
- 1 cup white sesame seeds
- neutral oil enough for deep frying
Instructions
Make the Filling
- In a bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves. Add the sunflower seeds to a food processor along with half of the sugar mixture. Grind to a fine powder, then add it back to the bowl. Add the melted butter and mix together.
- Add the sugar mixture to a small pot and set it on low-medium heat. Gently mix it with a spatula as the sugar dissolves and caramelizes. About 3 - 5 minutes. If the sugar doesn't dissolve, don't worry but continue mixing the ingredients.
- Add the heavy cream while stirring and keep stirring until it is smooth and has a rich brown color. Keep stirring and cooking until it thickens. The caramel is done when you can slide the spatula along the bottom of the pot and the liquid doesn't immediately cover the pot again. It should be viscous.
- Pour the caramel into a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature for 30 mins. Then cover and place in the fridge for 1.5 - 2 hours to solidify.
- It's ready to be formed to balls when it feels like playdough in your hands. Scoop out pieces that weigh 10 - 12 grams each and shape into balls. Cover and place in the fridge to keep it chilled and hard.
Make the Glutinous Rice Balls
- While the caramel is chilling, heat some water to about 50°C (120°F) - 60°C (140°F). Measure out 120 ml (about a half cup). Set aside.Add the glutinous rice flour and sugar to a bowl then mix together. Then add half of the measured water. Stir with a chopstick until you get a shaggy dough. Add a bit more water and use your hands to clump the dough together. Squeeze some dough in your hands and if it clumps together with a smooth texture you are close.
- Keep adding the rest of the water a little at a time until all the dough comes together. If you press the dough alongside the walls of the balls, it should pick up the flour on the walls of the bowl.Tip: How much water you add will depend on the temperature of the water so you may end up using less if it's on the warmer side. You may need to add more water if you think the dough is too dry. But only add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Knead the dough for about 5 mins until you get a smooth formed dough that is slightly stretchy.
- Cover and let it sit for 15 mins then shape into balls weighing 18 - 20 grams each.
Assemble Together
- Take a piece of the rice ball dough and stretch it out to a flat disk. The bottom of the disk should be thickener than the sides. Place a piece of the caramel on the center of the dough.
- Wrap the dough around it. Pinch the seams closed then reshape it to a ball.
- Add the sesame seeds to a shallow bowl and roll the ball around the sesame seeds. Your dough should have enough moisture that the sesame seeds will stick to your ball. Gently roll the ball again between your hands to press in the seeds.
- Place the ball on a plate. Repeat the steps for the rest of the balls.
Fry the Balls
- Add some oil to a deep frying pot. You should be able to submerge the balls in the oil. Heat the oil to about 150°C (300℉), use a thermometer to check the temperature. Add a few balls at a time (I only did two or three). The balls will release small bubbles from its surface. Tip: The temperature will lower to about 140℃ (284℉) when the balls have been added. Periodically check the temperature of the oil - it shouldn't go above 150℃ (300℉).
- Stir the balls gently around the pot (don't let them stick to the bottom). In a few minutes (about 5-7) they will rise to the surface. Keep cooking them as they grow in size. Flip them over every now and then.Tip: You can make the balls puff up (only after they float to the surface) by gently pressing down on one for 1 or 2 secs and letting it bounce back up.Once they are a light golden brown, place them in a large sieve to continue draining the oil. Be gentle with placing the balls on top of each other so they don't get dents.
- Let the balls cool for 15 minutes before biting into them. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 135kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 55mgPotassium: 61mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 120IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 1mg