Tang Yuan with Peanut Butter Filling 花生汤圆 (Glutinous Rice Balls with Peanut Butter Filling)

Tang Yuan, a Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour and usually served in sweet syrup. It is usually served on Winter Solstice Festival 冬至 and also a popular dessert for Spring Lantern Festival 元宵节 which is celebrated on the fifteen day of the first month in the Chinese calendar. It marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.

This year I made the triple colours Glutinous rice balls with peanut butter filling in ginger syrup. A bit different from my previous making of Tang Yuan with black sesame filling in sweet osmanthus syrup or the normal Tang Yuan without filling.

Recipe:
yield: 47 pieces
Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Filling:
250g ground peanuts
4 tbsp fine sugar
4 tbsp peanut butter

Glutinous Rice Balls:
500g glutinous rice flour
2 tbsp sugar
~420ml water (200ml hot water, 220ml room temperature water gradually add) 
a drop of red food colouring
a drop of pandan paste

Soup:
a few slices of old ginger (peeled the skin, then lightly pounded on the flat sides) 
150 g brown sugar
1 litre of water
2 screw-pine leaves/pandan leaves (tie them into a knot)

Method:

1. Prepare the filling: Mix the filling ingredients together, mixed well. Divide into the portion you desire and chill in the fridge before use.

2. Prepare the tang yuan: in a mixing bowl, add half of the glutinous rice flour (250g) and sugar. Add in 200ml of hot water, use a chopstick to stir it together, then use the hands to knead the dough until it comes together. Add the remaining flour (250g), gradually add the room temperature water, continue to knead the dough. You will notice the flour will absorb all the water, knead the dough until it is smooth. The dough should feel wet and smooth with hands. if the dough is too dry, gradually add a bit more water.

3. Boil water in a medium size soup pot, prepare a bowl of drinking water (room temperature) place beside. 

4. Divide the dough into three portion, one portion add a drop of red food colouring, knead until the colour mix well. Add a drop of pandan paste to another portion of dough, knead until the colour mix well. One portion of dough remain white.

5. Roll the three doughs into log and divide it into smaller balls. Roll it between palm to make it round, make an indention on the ball, fill it with a small ball of peanut butter filling. Wrap up the edge of the dough and seal, roll it between palm again to make round ball. Repeat until all dough is used.

6. Drop the balls into the boiling water pot in (3), when the Tang Yuan float on the surface, it means it is cooked, keep it in the boiling water for another 1/2 mins. Scoop the Tang Yuan out from the boiling water and place it in the bowl of drinking water. Let it be there until serving.

7. Prepare the soup: In a medium pot, add water, screw-pine leaves, a few slices of old ginger and brown sugar, bring it to boil. Set aside until serving time.

8. Serving: Scoop out three pieces of Tang Yuan to a serving bowl, place some ginger syrup in the bowl, serve warm. 

Pineapple Tarts 2018 黄梨酥

Pineapple Tarts is another "must have" during Chinese New Year, it is one of my family favourite. I have to homemade the pineapple filling again this year as it is not available in Sydney. I'm using my previous recipe for the pineapple tarts pastry and filling with minor modification. 

With two big pineapples produced about 600g pineapple paste, standing in front of the wok for more than two hours is not an easy task especially have to endure the painful splatter from the boiling pineapple jam. However, the melt-in-mouth pastry will make you come back to bake this tart each year. :) The tip for a yummy pastry is using the best butter you can get, this round I'm using Golden Churn Pure Creamery Butter. 

Note: I hand made the pattern on each of the pastry using dough knife. 

Yield: 102 pieces (medium size tarts) 

Wishing you a Happy, Wealthy and Prosperous Chinese New Year! 

新年快乐！万事如意！

Recipe:

Ingredients for Pineapple Filling/Jam:

2 big pineapple puree, about 1.5kg (Blend the cut pineapple, no separation of pineapple juice with fibre)

2 tbsp of ground cinnamon

1 medium size lemon (wash and blend the lemon together with skin)

250g fine sugar (to taste, as some pineapple is very sweet and some may be a bit sour)

3 heap spoons maltose 

Method:

1. It is best if you have a big wok because the juice in the pineapple can dried off easily. Mix the pineapple puree with lemon puree, add ground cinnamon. 

2. Cook the pineapple-lemon puree on high heat until it is boiling, continue to cook for 30 mins before turning the heat to medium low. Add sugar, add maltose when the juice reduce to half. Continue to cook until the juice dried off and the pineapple jam turning very stiff (about 2 hours). Remember to stir the pineapple jam once in a while to prevent burning at the bottom. The pineapple jam has to fry until very dry so to produce a longer storage time for your pineapple tarts.

3. Cool down complete before keep in fridge for a day.

4. Roll into small balls, set aside for later use.

Note:
1. the cooking time may vary (mine is about 2 hours) as it is depends on the size of your wok and the juice contains in the pineapple.
2. The pineapple jam is not mean for spreading so the texture is a bit stiff so it is able to roll into a ball for the enclosed pineapple tarts. 

Ingredients for pastry: 

340g golden churn butter

80g icing sugar

4 egg yolks

4.5 tbsp ghee

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

550g plain flour

50g custard powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 lightly beaten egg yolk for glazing

Method:

1. Cream butter, ghee and sugar until light. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Add vanilla extract and salt. Beat until fluffy. 

2. Fold in sifted flour ingredients and mix into a firm dough. Put dough on a work surface and lightly knead until the dough is smooth.

3. Wrap with plastic cling and place in the fridge for 30 mins. Let the dough rest and bind.

4. Roll the pineapple jam into small balls.

5. Remove dough from fridge, divide dough using a teaspoon and roll into balls. 

6. Flatten a piece of dough and place a piece of the pineapple jam ball in the middle. Bring the edges of the dough together and press lightly to seal. Roll the dough between your palms to shape it into a ball. 

7. Place the pineapple dough on baking tray lined with parchment paper. 

8. Making pattern on the dough balls is optional.

9. Brush the egg yolk on the pineapple ball. 

10. Bake in preheated over of 180C and for ~20 mins or until it turned golden brown. 

11. Cool on wire rack before store in airtight container.

Almond Cookies 2018 杏仁曲奇饼

I have to clear a few packs of superfine almond powder in my pantry and decided to bake this almond cookies for Chinese New Year. 

Yield: 100 pieces

Recipe: 

250g superfine ground almond
100g icing sugar
230g self raising flour
180ml corn oil (depends on the flour, it could need more or less oil)

egg yolk for brushing

Method:
1. Sift together flour and icing sugar. Add in ground almond, mix well.
2. Mix in corn oil, mix well. Knead the ingredients to form soft dough.
3. Shape the dough into small balls using hands.
4. Brush the egg yolk on each of the dough balls.
5. Bake at preheat oven 170C for 15 to 20 mins.