Steamed Pumpkin Buns 南瓜小包子

Aiyoh! Ha ha! ... 我的胖胖南瓜矮包子 ^-^!

Some leftover lotus paste from the last mooncakes making is still idling in the fridge. When the theme for this month's BREE is 'Bun In My Hot Steamer', I know the lotus paste will be put to good use in making some buns. Although I'm not very fond of bread & bun baking, after "think think think" (much consideration), decided to steam these mini buns for our weekend snacks.

Concurrently, to participate events in LTU's Pumpkin and MTR's Taste of Autumn,  I've used pumpkin to make the dough (bun skin) using recipe adapted from Sonia  (Nasi Lemak Lover, thanks Sonia) with slight modification in blue.

Steamed Pumpkin Buns with Lotus Paste filling 南瓜小包子
(Yield 11 buns instead of 13)

Ingredients :
150g pumpkin - skin peeled and deseeded, cut roughly in small pieces. Mashed (steam or microwave to soften)
225 all purpose flour (I used Hong Kong Flour)

1tbsp sugar
1/3 tsp salt

To make yeast water (set aside for 5mins to bloom)
1tbsp lukewarm water
1tsp sugar
1tsp instant yeast

Filling - lotus paste ( you can replaced with red bean paste, peanut or etc)

Pumkin skin - cut into small piece to make as pumpkin’s stem

Method :
1. Add in all ingredients and yeast water in a mixing bowl and knead till smooth dough.
2. Cover with damp cloth and rest for 60mins. (I used cling wrap) 
{zzZzz ... Zzz ... I doze off at my cosy corner ... Rrring !! My timer woke me up! Blur blur me ... Go ! Go! Get up to punch the dough! lol !}
3. Knock down dough to expel some air, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a while.
4. Weigh & divide the dough : 30g each and roughly shape into a ball and rest for 10mins.
5. Lotus paste : 15g each and lightly shape into ball.

6. Fatten and roll out the dough into a circle. Place lotus filling onto the center, wrap and pleat up the sides and seal.
7. Use a butter knife, mark from top and lightly press down towards bottom, keep a small gap in between, repeat this step till whole dough ball finished. Place a small piece of pumpkin skin in the middle and lightly press down.
8. Place the pumpkin buns (pleat area face down) onto a piece of greaseproof paper, on the rack for steaming. Cover with a piece of damp cloth and let rise for another 10-15 mins.
9. Lightly mark bun with butter knife again (to sharpen the pattern) {opps, I've forgotten this step}.
Steam the buns under rapidly boiling water on high heat for about 15mins.
10. Wait for 2mins then only open the lid and remove from the steamer.

While in the process of making these buns, it brought me back to those fun and fond memories of mooncakes making too .... the weighing & rolling the dough and filling into balls ... wrapping and shaping the balls ... hee hee!

My girl joined in the fun in wrapping and shaping these pumpkin buns.
Well .... it's tea-break time ! Come, join me for some piping hot steamed mini fatty sweet pumpkin buns with lotus paste. Enjoy with some hot tea !

Happy "steaming" and have a blessed weekend !

I'm joining Best Recipes for Everyone October 2014 Event Theme: Bun in My Hot Steamer hosted by Fion of XuanHom's Mom.

And

This post is also linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (Oct 2014 Event: PUMPKIN) 

organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) andMui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and 

hosted by Eileen (Eileen's Diary).

Also I'm submitting this post to "My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.