A new toast recipe for a lovely afternoon snack! One day, I was trying to make black sesame stuffed tang yuan (Chinese glutinous rice balls usually served in a light broth or syrup). I was intrigued with the recipe I was using because it called for butter instead of flavorless oil or lard in the stuffing. But after I made the rice balls and cooked a few to taste, I found that I didn’t like the butter flavor.
I pondered what to do with the leftover filling, and I realized I could just spread it over toast. I ended up enjoying it much more than I thought. After I finished the container, I spent another week making more and adjusting the ratio between sugar and black sesame seeds. And then I wanted to make the toast look striking when I make it for others, so I made a stencil out of thin strips of paper and dusted powdered sugar on top to make a striped pattern. I think it looks pretty neat 🙂
Black Sesame Toast
Makes enough black sesame butter for 3–5 toasts
- 3 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Pinch salt
- Couple drops of vanilla extract
- Milk bread
- Powdered sugar
Process black sesame seeds in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the sugar and salt and process until well combined. Transfer to a bowl. Add in the butter and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Spread a thin layer of butter mixture on a slice of milk bread. Bake in a toaster oven for 4-6 minutes, keeping an eye on it so that the toast doesn’t burn. If using a Balmuda toaster, bake at Pizza Mode for 5–6 minutes.
While the toast is baking, cut strips of paper. Once the toast is baked, lay the strips of paper over the toast to create a striped pattern. Dust powdered sugar over it, remove the strips, and serve immediately!
Transfer leftover butter to a small container and store in the fridge.
*You can also grind the black sesame seeds using a mortar and pestle but the texture will just be more coarse. You can also use pre-ground black sesame seeds but the color may not be as dark.
