Baked Yau Gok 油角/Gok Zai 角仔 (Cantonese Sweet New Year Dumplings)

Make the coconut peanut filling:

1. Preheat oven to 320ºF.
2. Add peanuts to a baking tray and roast for 25~30 minutes until slightly golden in color. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Next, toast the shredded coconut and sesame seeds for about 5 minutes in the oven or until the coconut is slightly turning golden in color. Alternatively, toast in a pan on the stove top.
4. Add the roasted peanuts, toasted coconut, sesame seeds and sugar into a food processor.
5. Process into a very fine texture.
6. Transfer mixture to a small bowl. Add in 1 teaspoon of peanut butter and mix well until the texture is not too loose or sandy.
7. Set aside.

Make the dough:

1. To a medium bowl, add in flour, sugar and salt. Mix well.
2. Add in lard or cubed butter, and mix until it resembles a corn meal texture.
3. Add in beaten egg, give it a mix and knead into a smooth dough. If the dough feels too dry, add a tiny bit of extra egg.
4. Cover with cling wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into half.
6. Roll and flatten a piece of dough to about 1/16” thick and cut dough with a 2.5” diameter ring. Repeat with the other pieces.

Fill the dumplings:

1. Roll the dough further into an oval shape, slightly wet one-half edge of the dough with the remaining egg or water.
2. Fold the dough in half, pinch one corner, forming a funnel and fill one teaspoonful of filling, then pinch on the edges to seal into a half- moon shape.
3. Pleat and pinch to seal the dumpling.
4. Alternatively, use a 2.5” dumpling mold to shape and seal the dumplings.
5. Place the dumplings on a parchment paper lined pan or baking tray.

Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/177°C.
2. Bake the dumplings for 25-30 minutes at 350ºF/177°C until slightly golden in color.
3. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.