- A nutritionist discusses how this classic Hong Kong dessert can help your skin and shares tips for reducing the fat and sugar when making it at home
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Yee Shun Milk Company is a shop famous for its double-layered steamed milk pudding. Photo: ShutterstockCraving a silky-smooth ending to your meal? Look no further than one of Hong Kong’s classic desserts – double-layered steamed milk pudding (雙皮奶). As its name suggests, this delectable dessert has two layers of skin, and it can be found in speciality shops across the city.
Made of steamed milk, egg whites and sugar, this dessert may seem simple at first. But achieving the “double skin” actually requires a complicated process.
The outermost skin-like layer is formed by heating and cooling milk. The second layer is made by pouring a mixture of milk and egg white beneath the first skin. As it cools, the dessert develops a custard-like texture. It’s best served hot, but it also tastes great chilled.
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Double-layered steamed milk pudding originated in Shunde in the Guangzhou province during the Qing dynasty. A cattle farmer there was looking for a way to store unsold buffalo milk. She decided to boil it, and a delicious layer of skin was formed when it cooled down.
However, the delicate skin broke easily, and the dessert spilled when it was moved around. To get around this, she added egg white to the milk – this made the milk curdle, forming a wobbly, semi-solid texture. The result was a delicate dessert. Not only is it delicious, but it is also nourishing.
Is this dessert healthy?
According to Kathy Ng Yiu-fan, a senior nutritionist at Kat-Spirit Nutrition Centre, the dessert’s main ingredients – milk and egg whites – are rich in protein, which helps to generate collagen. Collagen helps keep your skin and other organs healthy. Milk also contains vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that prevents free radicals from damaging your cells and may be effective at reducing damage to the skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Double-layered steamed milk pudding is healthier than other similar desserts, such as crème brûlée and caramel egg pudding.
The custard for steamed milk pudding is made with egg whites and a small amount of sugar. In contrast, crème brûlée and egg pudding have high sugar levels as they both are topped with a layer of caramelised sugar. Crème brûlée is the highest in calories as it requires double cream and uses only egg yolks.
“However, double-layered steamed milk pudding is far from being an everyday staple unless some changes are made to the original recipe,” Ng said.
The nutritionist explained that most shops made the dessert with buffalo milk, which has more fat and is less digestible than cow milk. She also advised replacing sugar with a sweetener such as sucralose.
“You can also add some ginger juice as it contains gingerol, which helps improve blood circulation,” she added.
If you want to challenge yourself by whipping up double-layered steamed milk pudding at home, here is a recipe approved by Ng. It requires a bit of patience but will be sure to put a smile on your face.
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Recipe for double-layered steamed milk pudding
Ingredients (serves 1)
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1 cup of low-fat milk
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2 egg whites
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2 tablespoons of sucralose
Directions
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Using a microwave, heat the milk in a bowl for one minute. Let it cool for one minute, before heating it for another minute. Leave the milk to cool for five minutes until a layer of skin forms.
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Gently lift the skin with a knife and slowly pour three-quarters of the milk from below the skin, into another bowl. Keep the skin in its original bowl.
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Mix the sucralose and egg whites with the milk that has been poured out.
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After combining it thoroughly, add the mixture to the original bowl. Do this by gently lifting the layer of skin with a knife and slowly pouring in the mixture along the side of the bowl so that the skin floats to the top.
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Cover the bowl with cling film, and steam it for about 20 minutes. Allow the milk custard to cool down for 10 minutes before eating it, or leave it in the refrigerator for two hours if you prefer your dessert chilled.
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