Turkey Dim Sum Bun Recipes

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• Mix together yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 cup warm water. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
• Mix in 1/2 cup warm water, flour, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and vegetable oil. Knead until dough surface is smooth and elastic. Roll over in a greased bowl, and let stand until triple in size, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Punch down dough, and spread out on a floured board. Sprinkle baking powder evenly on surface, and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 2 parts, and place the piece you are not working with in a covered bowl. Divide each half into 12 parts. Shape each part into a ball with smooth surface up. Put each ball on a wax paper square. Let stand covered until double, about 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. At least 2 inches space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 minutes.
• REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

CINNAMON BUN TURKEYS

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until it is about 100 degrees F (but no more than 110 degrees). Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Sprinkle a pinch of the granulated sugar over the top and let sit without stirring, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the butter, vanilla and egg yolk into the yeast mixture.
• Whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg and the remaining granulated sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape into a ball.
• Brush the inside of a large bowl with butter. Put the dough in the buttered bowl, turning to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release the excess air; reform into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it on the dough. Cover the entire bowl tightly with the plastic and proof in the refrigerator for 4 hours or up to overnight.
• For the filling: Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Whisk the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Cut off a 3-inch, or 5-ounce, ball of dough and set aside to make turkey heads. Turn the remaining dough onto a floured work surface and press flat. Then roll into an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, with a long edge facing you. Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border on the side opposite you. Evenly scatter the cinnamon-sugar over the butter. Starting from the long side facing you, roll the dough up into a tight cylinder. Lightly brush the clean edge of the dough with water. Press this edge against the cylinder to seal.
• Slip a long, taut piece of string or unflavored dental floss under the cylinder, about 1 1/2 inches from the end. Lift and cross the string ends over the cylinder, and then pull the ends tightly in opposite directions to cut a single roll. Repeat, cutting every 1 1/2 inches, to make 12 rolls. Place the rolls cut-side-down in the prepared pan, leaving 1 inch of space between them.
• Cut the reserved piece of dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 3/4-inch ball. Set each ball of dough aside in a separate baking dish. These will become the turkeys' heads.
• Cover the rolls and dough heads loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place to rise until both double in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Using kitchen shears pointing diagonally upward, make a horizontal snip halfway through the front of each ball of dough to form a pointy beak. Pull the beak down a bit to exaggerate the shape. Place a pecan half halfway inside each snip under the beak to form a "waddle." Place two currants above the beak for eyes; press lightly to secure. Place each dough head on top of the lower left hand corner of each cut roll to make turkeys.
• Bake the buns until golden brown and the tops of the buns spring back when pressed lightly, about 30 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
• For the glaze: Meanwhile, sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the condensed milk, butter and vanilla to make a thick, smooth icing. When the buns come out, cool them in the pan for 10 minutes. Drizzle the glaze evenly over all of the bun bodies, but not the heads.
• While the buns are cooling, warm the cooked bacon strips in the oven.
• To serve, remove each bun turkey from the pan. Slice bacon strips in half. Insert four half-strips of bacon into the back-most cinnamon swirl, so that they form an upright fanned turkey tail.

TURKEY DIM SUM BUN

Steps:

• Plunge your cabbage into a quart of boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and squeeze any water out with your hands.
• Combine wilted cabbage with turkey, green onions, soy sauce, mirin, sasame oil and hoisin. Squeeze with your hands to combine well. Cover and put in the refridgerator until your dough is ready.
• Combine 3 sups flour with salt, sugar, oil, milk and yeast. Knead until a soft dough forms. You will need some or all of the water. Drop the dough into an oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a warm spot to double in size.
• Knead the dough and smash out all the air bubbles. Cut dough into 48 equal pieces.
• Take each dough chunk and flatten into a disc in your hands. You may need extra flour if the dough is sticking to your hands. Place 1/2 tablespoon of filling into each disc and pull dough around filling and pinch to seal shut. Place buns seam side down on a baking sheet.
• Beat the egg with water and brush on the tops of your buns.
• Begin heating your oven to 350 degrees. You want the buns to sit for a few minutes before baking. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
• You can either eat these buns, or cool them down and freeze them. They reheat nicely in a warm oven.

TURKEY BUNS

Steps:

• Mix together first 6 ingredients.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Moisten with more mayo if necessary.
• Fill rolls or buns, wrap in foil and bake at 400 for 15- 20 minutes.
• *Orpile on French bread (split) and broil til hot and bubbly.