Cantonese Steamed Milk Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk
• 0.75 cup Heavy cream
• 0.25 cup Sugar
• 2 Egg whites
• Fresh fruit (Optional, for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Combine the milk, heavy cream, and sugar in a saucepan. Warm gently over low to medium heat, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Do not bring the mixture to a boil. Remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly so it is warm rather than steaming hot.

2. 2

   Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat them lightly until loosened and foamy, but not stiff or voluminous.

3. 3

   While whisking the egg whites continuously, slowly stream in the warm milk-and-cream mixture a little at a time. Add it gradually to prevent the heat from curdling or cooking the egg whites.

4. 4

   Pour the combined mixture into a heatproof bowl or individual heatproof dishes. Cover the bowl or dishes with aluminum foil to prevent steam condensation from dripping onto the surface.

5. 5

   Bring water to a simmer in a steamer. Place the covered bowl or dishes in the steamer, cover, and steam for about 10 minutes, adjusting the time according to the size and depth of the container.

6. 6

   Check for doneness by gently jiggling the container. The dessert is ready when the center has set but still trembles like jelly, with a soft custard texture similar to silken tofu. If it is still liquid, cover and steam for a few additional minutes, checking again.

7. 7

   Remove the dessert from the steamer and allow it to cool. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, then serve cold. Top with fresh fruit if desired.

Notes

Steaming time varies with the size and depth of the container. Use the jiggle test rather than relying only on the stated 10 minutes. The transcript contains apparent transcription errors and conflicts with the written description; the written description is used for the definitive ingredient quantities. Nutrition is an estimate for the listed base ingredients and excludes optional fruit.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• steamed
• Cantonese
• Chinese
• East Asian
• vegetarian
• chilled
• make-ahead