Tang Yuan with Black Sesame Paste

It was harder than I thought to make good tang yuan. The dough is not as forgiving as wheat-based jiao zi dough, and was often in danger of cracking. There's a delicate balance between over-filling the rounds with black sesame paste and maintaining adequate skin thickness so as to prevent cracking/bursting during boiling.


Black Sesame Paste

- 1 cup black sesame seeds
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter

1. Toasted black sesame seeds in oven at 300 degrees F for a few minutes, or until they emit a fragrant odor.
2. Finely grind sesame seeds in food processor.
3. Add 2/3 cup white granulated sugar.
4. Melt butter in microwave, add to mixture.
5. Set aside for tang yuan wrapping!

Tang Yuan Dough

- 16 oz glutinous rice flour
- 1.75 to 2 cups cold water

1. Mix together rice flour and water, adjusting water accordingly to get a soft, pliable dough.
2. Make small rounds, fill with black sesame paste, pinch shut, and spheridize between hands.
3. Dab dough with water as needed.
   
4. To eat, boil for several minutes in hot water, or until tang yuan float in the pot.

A couple tang yuan after wrapping.