Golden balls with sweet walnut paste

Golden balls with sweet walnut paste. Serve these golden balls hot. Photo Courtesy/WALNUTINFO.COM

Sweet walnut paste

1 cup toasted and finely ground California walnuts

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp condensed milk

1/8 tsp salt

Glutinous rice dough

3 cups glutinous rice flour

1/2 cup white sesame seeds, raw

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

Oil for frying

Toasting walnuts

In large, dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast walnuts, stirring occasionally, until lightly brown, about one to two minutes.

Sweet walnut paste balls

In a medium-sized bowl, combine walnuts, honey, condensed milk and salt to form a thick paste. Roll the paste into 1/2-inch round balls. Set aside.

Glutinous rice dough

Place the rice flour in a medium-sized bowl and the sesame seeds in a small bowl.

Heat a small sauce pan with the water and brown sugar on medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and gently pour into rice flour and stir to incorporate until a pliable dough is formed. Knead dough with your hands a few times and roll into a ball.

Cut the ball in half and roll each half into a 10-inch log. Slice each log into 10 pieces and roll the pieces into balls.

Take one ball and form a well with your fingers. Place a walnut paste ball in the well and pinch the dough back together so the dough envelopes the walnut paste. Roll into a ball.

Lightly wet the ball with water and roll in sesame seeds.

Repeat steps until you have made 20 balls.

Pour enough oil into a deep-fryer or deep heavy-bottomed pot to come at least three inches up the side of pot. Heat to 325 F.

In batches of four, gently drop the balls into deep-fryer. After two minutes, gently squeeze the balls with wooden chopsticks or a slotted spoon to help them expand. Turn them frequently to brown evenly (five to seven minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and let rest on a tray lined with a paper towel.

Serve warm.

Tip: Make a day ahead and refrigerate, covered. Re-fry golden balls up to two hours before serving.

~ Recipe courtesy of walnutinfo.com