Yellow Split Pea Cake 豌豆黃

In love with yellow split pea cake 豌豆黃 ever since my first visit to Beijing. Love its pure pea flavor, and super smooth, fudge like texture that literally melts in the mouth. The pea cake was a beloved imperial dessert, a favorite of empress dowager Cixi of Qing dynasty. Nowadays, yellow split pea cake is deemed as a festive snack often served at seasonal festivals, particularly during Springtime~  

Ingredients:

16oz (453g) yellow split peas 去皮黃豌豆( I used Goya brand)

60g (crystal) sugar 冰糖最好，白糖也可

Water  水

Instructions:

1.     Rinse yellow split peas a few times then soak in water overnight.

去皮黃豌豆洗淨泡水5, 6小時， 最好隔夜，比較易煮。

2.     Drain the peas. Cook the peas in a large pot with water filled about 1” above the peas. Bring to boil, then simmer for 40-50 minutes until peas are soft enough to be mushed. Skim off white foams formed by boiling peas.

瀝乾水。豌豆放入大鍋中，加水至水高於豆約一個指節（約2-3 cm). 大火煮滾轉小火煮50分鐘。撈去表面浮沫。

3.     Add sugar then cook until sugar dissolves. Stir occasionally.

豌豆煮軟後放糖（太早放豆不易軟），用木勺攪拌助糖融化。

4.     Use an immersion blender or tabletop blender to blend the peas into smooth pulp.

用手持搅拌器入鍋中絞碎豌豆成豆泥。或倒入桌上型攪拌/破壁機打成泥。若太干可酌量加點水。

5.     Optional: Strain pea puree through a sieve to get an even smoother texture.

想要豆泥非常細膩可用濾網過濾豆泥。

6.     Cook pea puree in a pot (preferably clay pot) over medium heat to dehydrate the puree. Stir with a wooden spatula continuously. Be careful when the puree thickens and hot steams releasing from it. Turn the heat lower if needed.

豆泥入砂鍋中火用木勺炒干水份。小心過程豆泥冒出熱氣。必要可轉小火慢炒.

7.     Turn the heat off when puree thickens that it falls in ribbon like trail that holds its shape for a few seconds when lifting the spatula.

當豆泥逐漸變稠變乾，木勺提起後豆泥落下成流膏漿糊狀，痕跡不會馬上消失即可關火。

8.     Pour pea puree in glass container(s), or cake mold(s). No need to grease the mold. Smooth the top with a spoon or spatula. Let it cool off. Refrigerate covered, for at least 4 hours to let pea cake set in the mold.

豆泥倒入玻璃容器（保鮮盒）或蛋糕模中放涼。容器不用抹油。涼後密封放冰箱冷藏4小時以上以定型。

9.    When ready to serve, carefully run a knife around the sides of the cake before turning the mold upside down over a plate. Tap on the bottom of the mold to knock the pea cake off of the mold.

準備吃時，倒扣容器，輕拍底部倒出成型的豌豆黃。 可先用刀沿著容器內部繞一圈以確保豌豆黃和容器間有縫，易取出。

10.  Cut the large pea cake into smaller pieces in desired shape. I always trim off the four edges of the pea cake to get straight edges. Then cut it into small rectangular pieces for serving. Some prefer fancier diamond shaped pea cake~

豌豆黃四邊修方正再切成長方形或喜歡的形狀。擺盤～