Fried sesame balls Photo: CFP

Red bean cake Photo: CFP

When it comes to the large variety of Chinese cuisine, desserts, in my opinion, are far less appreciated than other types of food. Western desserts like French macaroons or British desserts and sandwiches tend to be the top choices that many food hobbyists want to learn to prepare.

However, I think there is still a lot to explore when it comes to Chinese desserts, which includes such delicious treats as Cantonese-style tang shui (sweet water), sesame paste and tremella papaya stew. Of course you could always head to a restaurant when you're in the mood for something sweet, but it also might be worth trying to make some at home by yourself.

Red bean cake

A white jelly-like cake with red beans in it, red bean cake is a typical dessert of those that live in South China around the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The soft texture and sweet flavor of red beans makes this one of my all-time favorite desserts. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that red beans help eliminate bloating, increase the body's natural energies, reduce hypertension and is especially beneficial for those who have weak spleens and stomachs. Moreover, this tasty dessert isn't hard to make at all. There are several different ways to make red bean cakes, here's one.

Ingredients: glutinous rice flour, red beans, rice flour, sugar and water.

1. Soak the red beans in cold water for two hours after washing. Then boil them in a pot for around one hour using low heat until each red bean "opens."

2. Remove the boiled red beans and place them in a mixing bowl along with the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar and water. Mix them all together until they form a sticky dough paste.

3. Cut the dough with a mold if you like and place the little pieces of dough in a steamer and steam them on high heat for half an hour.

If you want to add different flavoring you can use coconut milk instead of water to mixed the dough or add in sweet-scented osmanthus.

Fried sesame balls

A golden fried rice flour ball covered with white sesame seeds, this treat is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. In some areas, the golden color of this dessert makes it a necessity when celebrating Chinese New Year.

Ingredients: glutinous rice flour, white sesame, red bean paste, baking powder and sugar.

1. Dissolve the sugar in warm water and use this sugar water to mixed the glutinous rice flour and baking powder together. Add a spoonful of oil to turn the mixture into smooth dough.

2. Take a small portion of the dough, flatten it out. Use this to wrap some red bean paste and roll it into a ball.

3. Put the rice balls into a bowl full of white sesame seeds and shake the bowl. This will allow the white sesame seeds to  completely cover the entire ball. Tenderly press the sesame seeds on the ball to ensure they stick firmly onto the ball.

4. Heat some oil in a pot and fry the sesame covered rice balls after the heat is 60 percent heated. Fry the rice balls for around 15 minutes until they turn a golden brown color.

Double-layered steamed milk

Originating from Guangdong Province, this dessert has become a popular snack in many places for its rich and tender texture. Walking down Nanluoguxiang in Beijing, you can find many small shops selling home-made double-layered steamed milk. It's quite simple to make, which makes it worth trying at home yourself.

Ingredients: 500 milliliters of whole milk, three eggs and sugar.

1. Heat the milk in a small pot but be careful not to boil it.

2. Pour the heated milk into a few bowls and put them in a ventilated place to cool down. As they cool, a skin-like layer will form on top.

3. Use chopsticks or a knife to make a slit in the layers and carefully pour the milk back into the pot while leaving the milk layer in the bowls.

4. Take your eggs and separate the yolks from the egg whites. Add sugar and vanilla extract to the egg whites and stir.

5. Pour the egg white into the milk through a sieve to filter out all the bubbles and stir. Pour the mixed milk and egg white back into your bowls.

6. Cover the bowls with a lid and place them in a steamer for 15 to 20 minutes and the milk will solidify.

It's tasty either hot or cold. You can have it with different flavored jams or honey.

Chinese yam with blueberry jam

Chinese yam, or shanyao, is a stick-like plant with a yellow skin and white insides. It's tasty both raw and cooked. Chinese yam with blueberry jam is a familiar sight at many restaurants in China.

There two ways to prepare the Chinese yams, either have them cut into sticks or mashed. The first way is really simple.

Ingredients: Chinese yams, blueberry jam, milk and honey.

1. Peel the Chinese yams and cut them into short sticks.

2. Boil the yam sticks in hot water for about one minute.

3. Place the boiled sticks on a plate and cover with blueberry jam.

However, if you prefer mashed yams, the preparation can be more complicated.

1. Peel the yams and chop into short sticks. Steamed them in a bowl until soft.

2. Smash the sticks with a spoon, add a bit milk and honey to smooth out the texture and add a sweet flavor.

3. Remove the mashed mixture from the bowl.

One thing you should pay attention to when peeling Chinese yams, is to use gloves if possible or peel them under running water, as the juice inside the skin of the Chinese yam can sometimes cause an allergic reaction for some people.