Crispy pig ear cookies (banh tai heo)

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Mix 300 g all-purpose flour with 100 g granulated sugar, 3 g baking powder and a pinch salt, add 50 g eggs, 30 g vegetable oil and 90 g water, then knead for about eight minutes. Kneading long enough makes the dough supple and elastic, so it will not tear when you roll it thin. The dough is ready when it is smooth, slightly firm and no longer sticks to the counter.

   Suggested time: about 8 minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Divide the dough into two equal halves. Stir 10 g cocoa powder with 10 g water into a thick paste, then knead it into one half of the dough. Mixing the cocoa with water first lets the color spread evenly without drying out the dough. The brown dough is ready when the color is uniform with no white streaks left.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Wrap each piece of dough separately in plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20 minutes. The gluten relaxes, so the dough will not shrink back when you roll it. The dough is ready when you gently pull a corner and it stretches without snapping straight back.

   Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Roll each piece of dough into a rectangle of the same size, about 2 mm thick. Two equal sheets give an even swirl when you slice the log. The sheets are ready when they are flat, evenly thick and their edges are nearly straight.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Brush a thin layer of water over the white sheet, lay the brown sheet on top, brush with water once more, then roll it up tightly from the long side into a log. The water works like glue, holding the two layers together so they do not come apart in the oil. The log is ready when it is evenly round, feels firm and shows a clear swirl at the ends.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Wrap the log in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for about 40 minutes. Cold dough firms up, so you can cut thin, even slices without squashing the swirl. The dough is ready when it feels firm and is no longer soft and pliable when pressed.

   Suggested time: about 40 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Use a sharp knife to cut the log into very thin slices, about 2 mm, and lay them out separately on a tray. Thin slices cook quickly and turn out light and crisp. The slices are ready when they are evenly thin, with a sharp white and brown swirl and no flattened or misshapen edges.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Heat oil for deep-frying (to taste) to about 150°C, add the slices in batches and fry over low heat for about four minutes, stirring gently so both sides cook evenly. Oil that is not too hot crisps the cookies all the way through without darkening the white part. They are done when they float to the surface, the white part is pale golden and the bubbles around them grow small.

   Suggested time: about 4 minutes. Low heat.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Lift the cookies onto a rack lined with paper towels and let them cool completely. They only become fully crisp once they have cooled and drained. They are ready when a broken cookie snaps with a crunch and is no longer soft in the middle.

   Mark step 9 as done