Black Sesame Soup Dumpling: 黑芝麻汤圆

Let’s Make Black Sesame Soup Dumpling: 黑芝麻汤圆

Black sesame tangyuan, a cherished traditional Chinese dessert, epitomizes cultural heritage and culinary finesse through its simple yet meaningful composition. These small, round dumplings are crafted from glutinous rice flour and filled with a rich, sweet black sesame paste, embodying unity and togetherness in Chinese culture. The tangyuan’s round shape symbolizes completeness, while its smooth exterior contrasts with the strong, flavorful sesame filling, demonstrating the ingenuity of Chinese cuisine in transforming basic ingredients into complex, delightful tastes.

Boiled until they float, tangyuan are typically served hot in a sweet syrup, providing comfort and joy, especially on chilly days. Preparing tangyuan is often a family affair, fostering togetherness and cultural bonding. This practice highlights the significance of food in Chinese tradition, making black sesame tangyuan not just a treat, but a symbol of unity and the joy of shared culinary experiences.

Let’s Get Cooking

1.Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spread Black Sesame Powder on a sheet pan evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes until fragrant or until it gets a light bluish tinge. Keep an eye on it though, as it may toast quicker depending on the moisture level of the powder. Toasting the Black Sesame Powder draws out the oils and flavors. This step is completely optional, but it is what makes the recipe even better

2. Mix Black Sesame Powder with Melted Butter, Salt, and Brown Sugar. Let the mixture cool and harden in the fridge 15-30, then scoop and roll into tsp sized balls. Let chill in the fridge to harden. Adjust sesame ball sizes if wanted, as they will only get bigger once the sesame filling is wrapped with the mochi dough.

3. Mix together Glutinous Rice Flour, Water, and Extract until a smooth wet dough is formed. Using three fingers, pluck out an ample bit of dough, flatten it and wrap the dough around the sesame filling. If preparing for later, freeze the dumplings individually, then put them all in a plastic bag. Using hot water instead of cold water will make the mochi dough more tender when cooked, using cold water will make the mochi dough more chewy. Use any type of extract wanted, I used Jasmine but Vanilla or a few drops of Almond extract works just as well. Adjust dumpling sizes if wanted. The more mochi dough used, the bigger the dumplings are.

4. In a small pot on high heat, boil together Water, Brown Sugar, Ginger, Orange Peels and Salt into a loose syrup, about 5 minutes. Add in the dumplings, stir the pot to prevent sticking, and reduce the heat to a simmer. The dumplings are cooked when they begin to float to the surface of the syrup. Garnish with Sesame Seeds if wanted.