Kaya puff (Kaya Kok 咖椰角) is a sweet flaky local pastry filled with creamy rich kaya coconut jam baked to perfection, that reminds me of my father's hometown in Malaysia, Ipoh. I first had it there and would always request to eat it whenever our family is back there.
100-130gkaya either Hainanese kaya or Pandan kaya, chilled
1tbspwhite sesame seeds
Water Dough
160gplain flour
25gStevia sweeteneror castor sugar
60gunsalted buttercubed and chilled
½tspsalt
80mlcold wateradjust accordingly
Oil Dough
100gplain flour
60gunsalted buttersoftened
Instructions
Make water dough:
Mix flour, Stevia sweetener, salt in a food mixer with paddle attachment and mix on low briefly
Add chilled cut butter and mix briefly until the mixture turns sandy.
Add cold water to form a consistent soft dough. Adjust water accordingly, if too dry add more water. Do not overmix.
Form the dough into a ball and cover with clingwrap. Let the dough rest for about 15 minute in the fridge.
Make oil dough:
In a food mixer with paddle attachment, add 60g softened butter and 100g flour, mix on low into a consistent soft dough. While mixing, use a spatula to scrape down the dough on the side. Do not overmix.
Form the dough into a ball and cover with clingwrap. Let the dough rest for about 15 minute. If it is too soft, chill in the fridge to harden slightly.
Assemble the kaya puff pastry:
Pre-heat oven at 170 degree celsius / 338 degree Fahrenheit.
Divide the water dough and the oil dough into 12 equal portions each and roll them into balls.
Wrap each oil dough with a water dough, and roll into round balls.
Cover the dough balls with clingwrap.
Lightly flour the kitchen top or rolling mat and the rolling pin. Roll each dough lightly into oblong shapes. Then roll the flattened dough up like a swiss roll.
Turn the swiss roll dough 90 degrees. Repeat the above step - Roll each dough lightly into oblong shapes, then roll the flattened dough up like a swiss roll.
Cover the dough with clingwrap. Let the doughs rest for about 15 minute.
Lightly flour the kitchen top or rolling mat and the rolling pin. Roll out each dough into oblong shape (mine is about 7cm x 10cm, perfect size for afternoon tea). The thickness of the rolled rough should be about 2mm.Spoon about 1.5 tsp kaya filling in the middle of the flattened dough.
Fold the dough and immediately pinch the sides to seal the semi-circle edge. Do it quickly to prevent the kaya from flowing out.
Pleat the edge by pinching and folding the sides 1cm at a time, overlapping each fold.
Place the kaya puffs 3cm apart onto a non-stick baking tray (or a parchment paper on a baking tray).
Get ready to bake:
Beat an egg to make the egg wash. Brush some egg wash on top of each kaya puff.
Sprinkle some white sesame seeds on top of each kaya puff (optional).
Bake in preheat oven (top and bottom heat with fan) at 170 degree celsius / 338 degree Fahrenheit for about 25-30 minutes till the kaya puffs turn golden brown in colour.
Once baked, let it cool on a cooling rack.
Store on counter top for 3 days or in the fridge for 1 week. If kept in fridge, you can warm up the kaya puffs in an oven toaster before enjoying it.
Video
Notes
I used a food mixer with a paddle attachment but you can also mix the ingredients manually if you don't have one.
Makes 12 mini sized kaya puffs.
Check out my quick and easy kaya recipes, you can make one in as fast as 10 minutes: Pandan Kaya and Hainanese Kaya.
Nutrition
Calories: 250kcal
Keyword chinese pastry, coconut jam, kaya, kaya puff, pastry, pastry puff