I couldn't resist the title of this recipe. So called because when deep-fried the balls split slightly to reveal a 'smile' shape. I'm not sure all mine look like they are laughing, though... Other than swapping the egg for aquafaba to make it vegan and adding some vanilla, I pretty much followed the recipe here: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-laughing-balls-fried-sesame-balls/
I halved the recipe and I made tiny balls of dough (about 2 cm diameter). They puff up to about three or four times their size!
Ingredients
300 g (2 1/2 cups) cake flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
a tiny pinch of salt
150 g (scant 3/4 cup) caster sugar
50ml water (warm water)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp aquafaba
a few drops of vanilla essence
1 cup white sesame seeds
Method
I halved the recipe and I made tiny balls of dough (about 2 cm diameter). They puff up to about three or four times their size!
Ingredients
300 g (2 1/2 cups) cake flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
a tiny pinch of salt
150 g (scant 3/4 cup) caster sugar
50ml water (warm water)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp aquafaba
a few drops of vanilla essence
1 cup white sesame seeds
Method
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. Dissolve sugar in warm water. Whisk aquafaba and vanilla essence together, until frothy.
- Mix all the dry ingredients with sugar water, aquafaba and oil. Knead into a soft dough. The dough should be quite soft but non-sticky. If it is too sticky to handle, add around 1 tablespoon of flour each time and knead well until a well shaped dough.
- Then divide into 40 small portions and round one into a around ball and roll into sesame seeds. Repeat to finish all.
- Heat up oil to 160 degree C, lower your heat and dip the sesame balls in. Deep-fry for 3 minutes with medium to slow fire. Stir the balls at intervals so they can be evenly fried.