Steamed Butternut Squash Bun with Red Bean Paste

INGREDIENTS:

660g steamed butternut squash

400g sticky rice flour

120g rice flour

120g white sugar

25     small squares of parchment paper

Makes 25 buns, 85g each

DIRECTIONS:

1. Steam butternut squash for about 10 minutes. A bag (750g) of frozen butternut squash, comes out weighting 660g. You can use fresh squash as well, slice it before steaming;
2. Add steamed squash to a big bowl, puree it;
3. Mix sticky rice flour, rice flour, and sugar in another bowl;
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to squash, mix with a spatula; then mix by hand to a consistency not sticky or too dry. The water content in the squash should be enough for the flour, so that you don't need extra water. If the mixture is still too sticky, add a bit more rice flour until it is easy to handle;
5. Divide the flour dough into 25 pieces, roll into balls, cover with a tea towel;
6. Roll red bean paste into balls, slightly smaller than the flour ball, 25 pieces;
7. Flatten a flour ball and make the bun with red bean paste ball filling; round each bun smoothly;
8. Use the side of a fork to carve on the finished bun, do 4 circles to make the pumpkin style;
9. With a square parchment paper liner, transfer those buns into the streamer, place them evenly and leave room in between;
10. Steam on medium-high for 10 minutes;
11. Carefully transfer the buns along with the parchment paper liner onto a wire rack to cool down completely;
12. Peel of the liner and store each pumpkin ball in a paper muffin cup, so that they won't stick to each another;
13. Enjoy them within 2 days before they become too hard to bite!

P.S. Feel free to size up or down the finished bun, increase/decrease cooking time accordingly.