Imperial Court Cheese

(Gongting Nailao)

Imperial Court Cheese was one of the desserts served at the imperial court in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). At that time, this tasty delicacy was only available to nobility and imperial court members. Eventually the treat made its way into regular society, where it became popular among the common people. The cheese is nutritious, supple and silky, making it a favorite with people young and old.

Ingredients:

500g full-cream milk, 160g glutinous-rice wine, granulated sugar, raisins, shelled walnuts and almonds

Method:

1.Whisk the milk, together with the rice wine and granulated sugar to a soft consistency (the proportion of milk to wine is roughly 3 to 1).

2. Put the raisins, walnuts and almonds in a bowl, and pour over the liquid mixture.

3. Preheat the oven to 100°C and bake for about 20 minutes. Set out to cool and serve.

(Note: Traditionally the cheese would be set in a wooden vat heated in a briquette stove. The stowed bowls were then placed on the edge of the vat for baking. Today for convenience this recipe can be produced in a regular modern oven.)

Recipe and background kindly provided by the Beijing J & E Mansion

Add: Western garden of Honglingjin Park, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

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