Blooming Lotus Flower Crisps (5 Ingredients)

A friend happened to first introduce me to these beautiful Blooming Lotus Flower Crisps last year on Christmas. These were so pretty and unique to look at that there was no chance I could leave without their recipe being shared here.

Apart from being pleasant to the eyes, they require minimal ingredients, have a simple procedure, immensely delicious, crispy, and flaky. As for me, anything sweet prepared out of coconut is my absolute favorite. The filling is mushy, and the delicate petals are just amazing and melt in your mouth! My version of these blooming lotus flower crisps requires just five ingredients. You don't require any air fryer or oven to make these. And all you need is a deep frying pan or vessel to fry it. Also, you don't need any rising agent, yeast, or baking soda to make it bloom.

The frying process is really mesmerizing because the dough blooms like a real Lotus flower once it touches the hot oil. The petals look similar to that of a real lotus petal. And the hint of coconut mixed with sugar and butter excites your taste buds, so much so that you won't be satisfied with one or two of these. Also, you would be in a dilemma whether to eat them or keep them in a glass cover as a showpiece :P

Making them is a fun project for a rainy day. Do give them a try!

Supplies

COOKING INGREDIENTS FOR BLOOMING LOTUS FLOWER CRISPS

For the Anthers (Innermost Yellow Filling)

Desiccated Coconut Flakes - 1/2 cup or 50 g
Butter (Softened & Salted) - 1.5 tbsps. or 20 g
Powdered/ Icing Sugar - 2.5 tbsps. or 20 g
Egg Yolk - 1

For the Pink Petals

Powdered/Icing Sugar - 1 tbsp. or 10 g
Butter (Softened & Salted) - 1 tbsp. or 10 g
Pink Edible Food Color (1-2 drops) or Natural Beetroot Extract (1 tbsp.)
Water - 40 ml
All Purpose Flour - 100 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsps.)

For the Flaky Pastry

All Purpose Flour - 65 g (1/3 cup)
Butter (Softened & Unsalted) - 2.5 tbsps. or 35 g

Canola Oil or light favored oil for frying: Oil Temperature 120-140°C or lowest possible flame on gas stove.

UTENSILS AND EQUIPEMENTS REQUIRED

Weighing Scale -1
Measuring cups - 2-3
Small Bowls - 2-3
Mixing Bowls - 2-3
Mixing Spoons - 2
Sharpest Cutter or Dough Scrapper -1
Chopping Board/Tray - 1
Sharpest Knife -1
Cling Film
Rolling Board -1
Rolling Pin -1
Deep Frying Pan - 1
Spider Web Oil strainer - 1

Step 1: Make Anther Filling

Making the innermost yellow Anther filling is the easiest part of the entire recipe because it only requires mixing.

To make it, take 1/2 cup or 50 g of Desiccated Coconut Flakes in a mixing bowl and make a hole in the center as shown.
Then crack one egg, separate the egg white part and add the egg yolk in the hole.
To that add 1.5 tbsps. or 20 g of Softened and Salted Butter.
Then add 2.5 tbsps. or 20 g of Icing Sugar.
Combine everything using a spoon or a spatula.
Now use your hands to knead the mix to form a dough.

Note: I have used packaged desiccated coconut flakes here. If you don't find readymade coconut flakes in the market then take a whole desiccated coconut, cut it, grate the pieces using a cheese grater, and grind the flakes in a grinder or mixer. You can even use fresh coconut, grind the pieces in oven, and then roast it for 10 min in oven at 180 degree Celsius and use.

Step 2: Divide Filling

Now bring the dough to a chopping board or tray and form a cylindrical-shaped block using your palms as shown in the picture.
Use the sharpest Cutter you can find, Dough Scrapper, or sharpest Knife to divide the block into 12 equal parts. Using a blunt knife may cut the dough unevenly.

Step 3: Roll Filling

Pick up one part of the filling and roll it in a spherical ball between your palms by applying very gentle pressure. Do the same with all the parts.
Cover the balls with Cling Film Sheet and refrigerate them for 20 min at least.

Meanwhile, let's move forward with the rest of the recipe.

Step 4: Pink Petals Preparation

In a mixing bowl, take 100 g of All Purpose Flour.
To the flour, add 1 tbsp. or 10 g of salted and Softened Butter.
Then add 1 tbsp. or 10 g of powdered/icing sugar.
Finally add the 1-2 drops of pink edible color or 1 tbsp. of beetroot extract and combine everything together with a spoon.
Once roughly combined, make a hole in the center and add water to it.
Using your hands, knead the mix into a pink dough. The dough must not be too hard or too soft.
Use more water to knead if required till you attain a tight dough.

Step 5: Divide Petal Dough

Form a cylindrical slab using the dough as shown in the picture.
Use the sharpest Cutter, or Dough Scrapper, or sharpest Knife to divide the cylindrical slab into twelve equal parts similar to step two.

Step 6: Roll Petal Dough

Pick up one part of the pink petal dough and roll it in a spherical ball between your palms by applying very gentle pressure. Do the same with all the parts.
Cover the balls with Cling Film Sheet and keep aside.

Meanwhile, let's move forward with the rest of the recipe.

Step 7: Prepare Pastry Dough

In a mixing bowl, take 65 g of flour, and add 35 g of Salted and Softened Butter into it.
Combine the mix with a spoon and then knead this dough with your fingers. Once done, form a big dough ball.

Step 8: Divide Pastry Dough

Form a cylindrical slab using the pastry dough as shown in the picture.
Use the sharpest Cutter, Dough Scrapper, or Sharpest Knife to divide the cylindrical slab into 12 equal parts similar to step 2 and step 5 .

Step 9: Roll Pastry Dough

Pick up one part of the pastry dough and roll it in a spherical ball between your palms by applying very gentle pressure. Do the same with all the 12 parts.
Cover the balls with Cling Film Sheet and keep aside.

Step 10: Fold Pink Dough

Now take one of the pink balls that we made earlier.
Roll it out on a rolling board in a flat oval shape.
Take one end of the oval (narrowest side). Fold it 2/3 on top of the entire oval (refer to the picture above for more clarity).
Take the other end and fold it on top of the first fold (refer to the picture above for more clarity).
Flatten this out by rolling a rolling pin on top of this.
Flip it back, and repeat steps 3 and 4 (longitudinal ways).
Press it gently with out palms for everything to stick together.
Repeat the above steps for all the pink dough balls.
Cover these petal slabs with Cling Film and keep aside.

Step 11: Combine Both Doughs

Take the Pink Petal Slab that we just made and place it on a Rolling Board.
Roll the slab out in the shape of a flat circle (refer to the picture above).
Then place the Pastry Dough Ball that we made earlier in the center of the flat Petal circle.
Now cover the inner pastry dough with the flat petal circle (refer to the picture above).
Make a ball out of these doughs (refer to the picture).

Step 12: Shape Into Balls

Continue making balls by repeating the previous step to form the rest of the balls.

Step 13: Make Layers

Take the pink balls and make layers. This step is similar to step 10. For this,

Lay out the pink balls that we just combined out on a rolling board. And roll a rolling pin on top of them to flatten them into an oval.
Take one end of the oval. Fold it 2/3 on top of the entire oval (refer to the picture above for more clarity).
Take the other end and fold it on top of the first fold (refer to the picture above for more clarity).
Flatten this out by rolling a rolling pin on top of this.
Flip it back, and repeat steps 3 and 4 (longitudinal ways).
Press it gently with out palms for everything to stick together.

Step 14: Make Lotus Balls

Take the layered petal slabs and roll them flat using a rolling pin in round shape.
Take out the refrigerated yellow anther filling balls and keep it in the center of the round flattened petal.
Wrap the anther filling with the flattened petal layer and roll them into balls with your palms.

Note: Make sure the balls have no cracks.

Step 15: Cut the Balls

Use a very very sharp knife to make deep incisions in the balls horizontally, vertically, diagonally from the center as shown.

Note: The incisions should only be on the pink layers and not on the inner coconut balls. The knife should only pierce the outermost layer otherwise the inner layer may break out and scatter. Also, leave 1 cm gap from the bottom center while piecing otherwise the coconut filling may ooze out from below and hinder the frying process. Refer to the pictures for more clarity.

The final form of the lotus balls are ready. Now the last step is to fry them.

Step 16: Prep for Frying

Heat canola oil or any light flavored oil in a vessel or deep frying pan or cauldron. The oil depth must be so much so that the balls immerse almost fully inside the oil.
Let the temperature reach to around 120-140 degree Celsius (lowest flame) and let the oil heat.

Note: To check whether the oil is heated up enough, take a toothpick and dip it inside the oil. If there are bubbles near the toothpick tip then the oil is hot enough.

Step 17: Fry

Once the oil has heated up, put the balls one by one inside the oil carefully with the cut side up.
Using a spoon, pour the hot oil continuously on top of the balls till it blooms out.
Fry till the flower has completely bloomed. Don't overtry it otherwise the flower will lose it's pink color and turn golden/brown. You can let the outer petals be slightly golden though.
The entire process will take just 1 min to be fried at maximum so don't leave the flowers in for long.
Once fried, gently and carefully remove the flowers using a spider web oil strainer because the petals are really really delicate. Place them on a tissue paper to absorb extra oil.

Note: Don't overcrowd the vessel when frying, otherwise the Lotus flowers won't bloom and cook properly. Fry only 2-3 flowers at a time.