Tang yuan
Tang yuan are sweet balls made from glutinous rice flour served in a syrup, often found at Lunar New Year celebrations. Delicious with a sweet gooey filling like the peanut version Suzie likes to make.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 heaped tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- 75²µ/2½´Ç³ú brown sugar
- 130g/4½oz (roughly ½ cup) glutinous rice flour
- 1 tbsp icing sugar, sieved
- 4 tbsp boiling water
Method
Put the peanuts in a bowl and add the granulated sugar and peanut butter. Mix well to form a sticky paste.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use a teaspoon to divide the paste into 12 equal portions and place on the prepared tray spaced well apart. Place in the freezer to firm up.
For the syrup, mix 750ml/1â…“ pints water with the brown sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
To make the dough, put the glutinous rice flour and icing sugar in a large bowl. Mix to combine using a spoon. Add the boiling water, mixing as you pour. Once cool enough to handle, use your hands to knead the dough. Add a little more water if needed to bring the dough together. Knead the mixture until you have a smooth soft dough. To check it's ready, take a small chunk and press it out flat, if it cracks easily, you need to add more water.
Working quickly so the dough doesn't dry out, roll the dough into 12 equally-sized balls.
Remove the peanut filling from the freezer – it should be firm to touch but not totally hard. Roll the filling into balls using your hands.
Flatten out a piece of dough using your fingers. Place a ball of peanut filling in the centre and wrap the dough around it to completely encase the filling (you might get a few cracks but don't worry). Once fully encased, roll it between your palms to make a smooth ball. If they are feeling a bit dry, wet your hands a little before rolling. Repeat to make 12 tang yuan.
Gently lower the tang yuan into a pan of boiling water. Gently stir so they don’t stick to the bottom. Once they float to the surface of the boiling water, they are ready to be taken out using a slotted spoon.
Place the tang yuan into serving bowls, spoon over the syrup and enjoy.