Hopia!

Introduced by the Chinese merchants during American occupation, Hopia is a Filipino bean filled pastry that is classified into two types, the flaky which uses Chinese puff pastry and the cake dough that uses a soft cookie dough. Variations of this hopia comes in mung bean, hoping baboy which consists of candied winter melon, green onions and pork backfat, ube  which is a purple yam - all of which are the flaky type. The cake dough type has one distinct hopia, called Hopiang hapon (Japanese hopia) which is similar to the Japanese pastry kuri manju which is usually filled with adzuki bean paste.

Eng Bee Tin, a Chinese deli in Ongpin Manila, is the leading Hopia manufacturer in the country. My mom brought one home, which was the mung bean hopia. Now, we will make our very own Hopiang munngo (mung bean).

The ingredients for a wonderful mung bean hopia are,

For the filling,

1. 1 Kg. Mung beans (Munggo, locally)

2. 2 & 1/2 Cups of Sugar

3. 4 & 1/2 Cups of Water

For the first dough,

1. 2 cups of all purpose flour

2. 2 Tablespoon of sugar

3. 1/2 Tablespoon of salt

4. 1/2 cup of water

5. 1/2 cup of cooking oil (pref. vegetable oil)

For the second dough,

1. 1 cup of all purpose flour

2. 1/2 cup of shortening

The procedure are as follows,

1. Boil Mung beans over water, then mash it adding sugar eventually.

2. Make Doughs 1 and 2, by mixing all corresponding ingredients.

3. Cool the first dough in the fridge for about 10 - 15 minutes.

4. Then after that with the use of a rolling pin, flat out 1st dough until it is  2 x 1 feet in width and length, making sure that is it evenly thick.

5. Spread the second dough over the first one thinly, then roll them together like making jellyroll.

6. Take parts of the dough combination, depending on the size you want, place it on an inch and a half (depends on you) deep cookie tray with parchment paper.

7. Place dough on the bottom and on the sides, then put the filling.

8. Like putting a pie-crust, place dough on the top of the filling, then brush it with egg wash.

9. Bake on a preheated oven about 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, then cool over room temperature and serve!

10. Enjoy!