A traditional Chinese treat consisting of Chinese hawthorn berries threaded onto skewers and coated in a clear, hard, and very crunchy sugar shell.
Ingredients
- 320 g fresh Chinese hawthorn berries
- 100 g white granulated sugar
- 50 ml water
Method
- Gently wash the hawthorn berries, remove the stems, and dry them one by one. They must be perfectly dry, as the slightest moisture will prevent the sugar from adhering properly.
- Thread the hawthorn berries tightly onto four bamboo skewers, distributing the fruit evenly. Leave one end free so you can hold each skewer.
- Prepare a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or very lightly oiled. Place a bowl of ice water nearby to test the sugar's doneness.
- Combine the sugar and water in a small, narrow saucepan. Heat gently until dissolved, then bring to a boil without stirring. Do not scrape the sides and do not introduce a spoon into the syrup.
- Continue cooking to the hard-crack stage: the syrup should remain almost colorless or take on a very pale straw hue. A drop plunged into the ice water should harden immediately and snap cleanly when bitten, without sticking.
- Tilt the saucepan and quickly spin each skewer in the syrup to coat all the hawthorn berries with a continuous shell. Let the excess drip off for a few seconds over the saucepan.
- Immediately place the skewers on the prepared baking sheet, without letting them touch. Let cool completely at room temperature until the shell is hard, glassy, and brittle.
- Serve as soon as the sugar has set. The tanghulu should crack cleanly on the first bite while the hawthorn berries remain fresh and tart.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 139.1 kcal
- Protein
- 0.55 g
- Carbohydrate
- 35.45 g
- Fat
- 0.24 g
- Fibre
- 3.28 g
- Calcium
- 0.98 mg
- Iron
- 0.02 mg
- Magnesium
- 0.41 mg
