Little Pumpkin Cake [小南瓜糕]

Fall season has officially arrived. Let's celebrate the festival of harvest by making some little cute pumpkin cakes. It actually is mochi with red bean paste inside. It's especially delicious when served hot. i like it simply because of their cuteness ^0^

Ingredients: (make 12 cakes)
350g Kabocha squash/Japanese pumpkin (after skinned and seeded)
350g Glutinous flour
about 100ml water (it depends the water content of a pumpkin)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp sugar (optional)
Red bean paste
Raisins (for decorative stems)
12 2"x2" parchment paper/wax paper (prevent sticking between the cakes and the steamer)

1. Cut pumpkin into small cubes. Steam over moderate high heat for about 10min.
2. Mash the cooked pumpkin or chop it with a food processor.
3. Add glutinous flour and sugar (optional) to pumpkin and mix well.
4. Add water little by little and knead dough until it is smooth.
5. Divide it into 12 pieces. Wrap each piece with red bean paste. Cut raisins into small pieces as stems. Use toothpick to make a small hole on the top and insert "raisin stem" in it. Use toothpick or the back of a knife to make a couple of marks on pumpkin cake to make it look more like a pumpkin.
6. Slightly grease the parchment paper with a little bit of oil. Put a pumpkin cake on top.
7. Steam with a bamboo steamer (recommended) for about 8min on moderate high heat.

Note:

1. Kabocha pumpkin is a sweet squash, plus red bean paste usually is very sweet already. I didn't add sugar when making the dough. However, if you prefer a sweeter dessert, add sugar accordingly.
2. The amount of water added in this recipe is for reference only. Some pumpkins may contain more water naturally or it gets more water after being steamed. Please adjust the right amount of water with your good adjustment.
3. Bamboo steamer is preferred in this recipe as it can prevent steam water dripping back to the cakes.
4. I wish I had time to make an entry about red bean paste, but I still couldn't find the time yet... Stay tuned for the red bean paste recipe.

Kabocha squash/Japanese pumpkin

Cut into cubes for steaming. Bamboo steamer can prevent steam water dripping back to the pumpkin.

Mash the steamed pumpkin or simply use a food processor.

Knead together the pumpkin, flour and sugar (optional) until it is smooth. I love the vibrant yellow of the dough. it looks like mango to me :P

Divide pumpkin dough and red bean paste into 12 pieces. pre-cut the raisins into tiny stems.

Wrap red bean paste inside.

If the closing is not smooth, dab some water with a fingertip and 'massage' it in a circular motion to smooth out the surface.

Use toothpick to poke a hole on the top and insert a piece of pre-cut raisin as the stem. Use toothpick or the back of a knife to make marks on the pumpkin cake.

Ready to steam :)