Hey It's Jen Lou

Tangyuan holds a dear place in my heart because I am always able to fuse it with both Mexican and Filipino elements. 

Even more so this year, as I noticed that both my kids started to really appreciate tangyuan, whether or not they are store bought! A little bit of a backstory: every year, it is a family tradition that both my husband and I go to our kids’ schools and do a presentation about Chinese New Year. My kids look forward to it and eagerly get involved in preparations.

One of the things I usually bring for the class to try as a treat is tangyuan. Tangyuan, for those who are not familiar with it, can be an acquired taste. Usually, not everyone is on board with it, but that doesn’t offend me. Tangyuan is such a big part of Chinese New Year celebrations; it would be a disservice to, at the very least, not show them what it looks like. Also, I totally understand; the first year my children had store bought tangyuan, they didn’t care for them. But this year, my four year old took the initiative as my assistant, passing out little cups of tangyuan to all her friends and teachers at school. When everyone had a serving, she continued to occupy the spot next to me, eating the leftover tangyuan, one after the other. It was her proudest moment. As it was mine. 

These little dumplings are filled with pepitas, also known as pumpkin seeds. Pumpkins (and their seeds) have been eaten in Mexico for millennia, and are a versatile ingredient in their cuisine. I am enamored with the color and the nuttiness they add to this dish. The mild floral scent of jasmine matches well with the pepitas to really bring about the feeling of the spring season. I wish my tapioca balls were pink, but I could only find the white ones in the store. Use pink ones, if you’d like to add a splash of color. In order to round out the flavors, I used a coconut beverage as a bed for these delicate little pockets of joy. Coconut milk is a staple ingredient in rice-based Filipino desserts, which is coincidentally also what tangyuan is. Sweeten the coconut beverage as you like, or add them as is and let the honey in the tangyuan take the center stage. 

 元宵節快乐! Happy Lantern Festival!

Pepitas Tang Yuan with Honey and Jasmine Tea

Makes: 18-20 tangyuan, 1 inch in diameter

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

For the filling:

¼  cup pepitas

⅛  cup honey

½ -1 tsp jasmine tea powder, depending on taste (I used only ½) 

For the tangyuan dough:

1 cup sweet glutinous rice flour (糯米粉)

⅓ cup hot water

Other:

Coconut beverage

Sweetener of choice

Tapioca balls, cooked, optional

Pepitas, for garnish, optional

Instructions:

To make the filling, blitz the pepitas in a food processor until grainy. Transfer to a bowl, add honey and jasmine tea powder until well combined. Store in the freezer until the dough is made and prepped. 

To make the dough, combine rice flour and hot water until it forms a smooth dough. Cut into 18 pieces, roll into a ball and flatten into discs. The discs should be slightly thicker in the middle. 

To fill the dough, remove the filling from the freezer, take ¼ teaspoon of filling, place in the middle of the dough and wrap by pinching the ends so they meet in the middle, covering the filling completely. Roll between your palms into a smooth ball. Immediately place it on a plate in the freezer. Do not skip this step as the honey will weaken your dough and it will split. Continue until all 18 pieces are in the freezer.*

To cook the tangyuan, boil a pot of water and gently drop the tangyuan in the water. Do not overcrowd your pot. You will know your tangyuan is ready when it floats to the top, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the water using a slotted spoon or a strainer. 

To assemble, pour coconut beverage sweetened with your sweetener of choice  in a shallow bowl. Gently place 3-5 tangyuan in the middle and add tapioca balls, if desired. Feel free to garnish with more pepitas. Serve immediately.

NOTES:

*These tangyuan are freezer- friendly.