Ingredients
500 g (about 1 lb) all-purpose flour, egg yolks from 3 eggs, 250 g (about 9 oz) sweet red bean paste filling, 50 g (about 1.75 oz) each of hawthorn cake and preserved green plums.
Seasonings
100 g sugar, 20 g lard (rendered pork fat), 50 g flour, and baking soda to taste.
Instructions
1. Place 350 g flour in a bowl, add 175 g water and knead into a dough; once the dough has risen, add baking soda and knead evenly, then take 4/7 of the dough and knead in 20 g lard until smooth, and divide the remaining 3/7 of the dough into 2 portions and set aside.
2. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and beat them, then add 75 g (about 2/3 cup) of flour, 50 g (about 1/4 cup) of sugar, and the reserved piece of dough from above. Knead until smooth to form a yellow dough, then let it rest briefly.
3. Crush the hawthorn cake with the flat side of a knife, then add 50 g (about 1/4 cup) of sugar, 75 g (about 1/2 cup) of dry flour, and the remaining piece of dough. Knead until smooth and evenly colored into a red dough, then let it rest briefly.
4. Place the white dough on a work surface, knead it into a log, and roll it out into a rectangular sheet; roll the yellow dough into a sheet of the same size and place it on top of the white sheet, then roll the red dough into a sheet of the same size and lay it over the yellow sheet. Starting from one end, roll up the stacked sheets into a long log, then divide into 20 equal pieces. Flatten each piece, wrap it around sweet red bean paste filling, and shape into a round ball. Using a small knife, make 5 to 6 diagonal slashes around the sides of each ball to create parallel cuts. Press a small indentation in the center of each ball with your finger, place a small thin slice of preserved green plum into each indentation, arrange the buns in a steamer basket, and steam over boiling water for 15 minutes until done. This dish is colorful, soft, and sweet, providing essential protein and carbohydrates, along with a good amount of B vitamins and minerals.