If you have never tried peanut milk before, you are in for a treat. This tastes of a happy Chinese childhood crossed with melted peanut butter ice cream. We really have nothing like in it the States, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.
It is also a dead simple recipe with no-fail, heavenly results.
Taipei in winter
was always bone-crushingly cold, and I found that hot drinks were one of the
best ways to deal with the weather. If they were sweet, so much the better, and
if they were lusciously flavored, well, life didn’t get much better.
 |
| Bread filling of sugar & nuts |
This drink was so popular that commercial ones were readily available. But the best ones were always house-made using some secret recipe or another.
This one is my
favorite. I discovered that red dates added just the right fruity edge to keep
this from being too saccharine or one-note. It is a very subtle touch, but
makes all the difference in the world. If you have popsicle molds or an
ice-cream maker, consider using this in either one. Your inner child will thank
you.
Down below is a recipe for peanut buns that uses the dregs from the milk to make an utterly delicious bread. If you want to take this peanut tangent a bit further, consider rolling the dough around ground toasted peanuts and sugar. Simply amazing.
 |
| Red dates & peanuts |
Down below is a recipe for peanut buns that uses the dregs from the milk to make an utterly delicious bread. If you want to take this peanut tangent a bit further, consider rolling the dough around ground toasted peanuts and sugar. Simply amazing.
Peanut
milk
Huāshēng
nǎilù 花生奶露
All of China
Serves
4
8 red Chinese
dates
8 ounces raw
peanuts, preferably skinned
6 cups (or as
needed) water, divided
2 tablespoons raw white
rice
Pinch of sea salt
Rock sugar to
taste
1 teaspoon vanilla
(not traditional, but good)
 |
| Cook til thick |
1. Start this
recipe the night before. Place the dates in a small heatproof bowl and cover
with boiling water. When the dates are plump, slit each one open and discard
the pit; reserve the soaking water. If the peanuts are unskinned, put them in a
medium heatproof bowl and cover them too with boiling water. Wait 5 minutes,
drain the peanuts in a colander, rinse with cool tap water, drain again, and
dump them out onto a terrycloth towel. Rub the peanuts in the towel to remove
the skins. Place the peanuts back in the work bowl, cover them with tap water,
and let them soak overnight; the next day, drain and rinse the peanuts in a
colander.
 |
| Ribbons of peanuts |
3. Add a piece of
rock sugar about the size of a small egg (or to taste) and the pinch of salt to
the saucepan, and bring the slowly liquid to a boil over medium heat before
lowering the heat to so as to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the peanut milk a
few more minutes until thick, stirring the bottom often with a silicon or
wooden spatula. Taste the peanut milk and add more sugar, if necessary. When
the peanuts taste fully cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Either serve it
immediately or cool it to room temperature and chill for a couple of hours.
 |
| Roll around filling |
The dregs can be
used in Fast Steamed Breads to make delicious peanut-flavored buns: In Step 2,
add the leftover peanut mash to the yeast mixture along with 2 cups flour.
Knead and add more flour as necessary. Form and steam the buns as directed.
For extra deliciousness, mix ground toasted peanuts with brown sugar, and then spread it over the peanut-flavored dough, forming the ribbon breads as directed in Taro Steamed Buns.
For extra deliciousness, mix ground toasted peanuts with brown sugar, and then spread it over the peanut-flavored dough, forming the ribbon breads as directed in Taro Steamed Buns.
