If you like mochi, rice cakes, boba, anything chewy, you'd love these sweet rice dumplings that's often eaten on Chinese holidays. They're most typically filled with black sesame or peanut paste and served in a sweet soup. In this case, these are black sesame with ginger soup.

They're a little labor-intensive and honestly don't taste much different from store bought so I don't think I'd do it again... But as I make things at home that I'd normally just buy, I find that I have so much more appreciation for them. I didn't used to think much of English muffins, or baguettes, or these dumplings, but now after having made them I realize how amazing it is that I can just buy them for a couple bucks at the store!

I followed 小高姐's recipe for the dumplings only (not her soup). The butter in the filling gives it a flavor that's not quite authentic, but the lard or pig fat that I believe is traditionally used is not widely available in the US. Otherwise, I'd say these are very accurate to how they should taste!

INGREDIENTS

Black sesame filling

  • 40 g. roasted black sesame seeds
  • 15 g. pecans or other nuts
  • 40 g. sugar
  • 30 g. unsalted butter, melted
  • 15 g. water

Glutinous rice dough

  • 125 g. glutinous rice flour
  • 70 g. boiling water
  • 35 g. room temperature water

Sweet ginger soup

  • A few pieces of fresh ginger
  • Black or brown rock sugar, to taste

PROCEDURE

  1. Blend black sesame seeds and nuts until it's fine, like sand (I used a small Magic Bullet).
  2. Mix in sugar, butter, and water to form a paste, then pour into a ziplock bag and freeze.
  3. In a bowl, pour boiling water over glutinous rice flour and quickly mix, followed by room temperature water.
  4. Continue mixing/kneading until the dough comes together. If it's dry or crumbly, add a teaspoon of water at a time.
  5. Cover dough and set aside while you get back to the black sesame filling.
  6. Remove filling from the freezer, place on a cutting board, and cut the bag off.
  7. Slice the frozen filling into 12 parts and roll them into balls. Return them to freezer until completely stiff.
  8. Roll the glutinous rice dough into a log, then divide into 12 pieces. Each piece should be 1.5-2" long. If the dough ever gets dry in the process, just spray/sprinkle it with a bit of water and keep it covered.
  9. The shaping process is easier understood by watching the video! Just make sure the filling is completely frozen. If it starts melting and getting on the dough, it won't seal properly, and once that happens it can't be fixed!
  10. Bring a pot of water to a boil, with ginger and rock sugar to taste.
  11. Once it comes to a strong rolling boil, drop the dumplings in the water and cook for ~5 minutes. Once they all float to the top, that's when you'll know it's done.
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