Piayaya or Piaya

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• A pinch of salt (optional)
• 3 tbsp. butter or shortening, chilled
• 5-6 tbsp. water, icy cold

Filling: 

• 1/2 cup dark muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp. glucose or honey syrup
• 1/8 cup sesame seeds, for coating

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well. Add chilled butter or shortening into the flour and pinch with your fingers until forms into a crumb. Add the icy cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and form into a dough. Place on a clean board and knead until smooth.
2. Divide dough into 6 or 8 equal portions and cover with a plastic wrap and chill for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine dark muscovado sugar and glucose syrup in a small bowl and pinch the mixture to make it smooth and evenly moist to avoid tearing the dough. Don’t add more glucose or you’ll be in trouble believe me, a tsp of glucose is enough. Actually the glucose helps the sugar to remain soft and not crystallized after cooking. The sugar mixture looks dry but don’t worry, the moment the sugar hit the hot pan it melts right away.
3. To fill the piyaya flatten a piece of dough with rolling pin or your palm, then place a tablespoon of the sugar mixture in the center. Fold the edges and pinch into the center to seal, roll into a ball making sure there’s no hole to avoid leakage when cooking. Do the same with the remaining dough until it’s done. Carefully flatten each dough one at a time with a rolling pin gently until desired thickness achieved.
4. Sprinkle sesame seeds on each side and repeat with the remaining piyaya balls until it’s done. Preheat a pan or a char grill pan over medium heat and cook piyaya for 3-4 minutes on each side or until it’s crisp and has a brown spots. Piyaya “piaya” is good when it’s warm so serve immediately.

Source : pingdesserts.com