Cream Cheese Lotus Seed Paste

Recipe: Cream Cheese Lotus Seed Paste芝士莲蓉馅

Yield: 220g

Ingredients

100g dried white lotus seeds ½ cup + 2 TBSP water (liquid from boiling lotus seeds) 55g sugar or to taste

¼ to ½ tsp. instant chocolate mocha powder *optional 1 TBSP vegetable oil 150g Philadelphia cream cheese

Measurements: tsp. = teaspoon | TBSP = tablespoon

Preparation
1. Split open dried lotus seeds.	2. Flick out the cores, if any, with the point of a knife.	3. Wash and rinse lotus seeds. Soak lotus seeds in hot water for 3 to 4 hours or in cold water for 6 to 8 hours, until double in volume.
4. Put lotus seeds and saoking water in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Add water to cover lotus seeds if necessary. Reduce heat to low, cover wtih lid, and continue simmer lotus seeds for about 30 minutes until fork tender.	5. Heat off. Fish out the lotus seeds and place in a bowl. Leave to cool slightly.	6. Put the cooked lotus seeds in a plastic bag. Roll out with a rolling pin to mash the lotus seeds until fine and smooth. Put the mashed seeds into a large bowl, combine with ½ cup + 2 TBSP water (liquid from boiling lotus seeds).
7. Strain the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl.	8. Heat up a saucepan. Put lotus seed puree and sugar in the saucepan, stir fry until dry. Stir in vegetable oil	9. Combine cream cheese with lotus seed paste in the saucepan.
10. Add chocolate mocha powder and continue to stir fry until mixture dry again. Turn off the heat. Leave cream cheese lotus seed paste to cool completely.	11. Cream cheese lotus seed paste is ready to use. Wrap any unused paste with cling wrap, put in an air tight container and store in refrigerator.

Notes

Alternatively, you can ignore step 6, puree the lotus seeds with ½ cup + 2 TBSP water in a blender until smooth. Instant chocolate mocha powder helps to enhance the taste of this cream cheese lotus seed paste and give a taste like tiramisu cheese. Store paste in refrigerator for up to a week.