Happy Tang Yuan!

Today I'm talking about Tang Yuan. My favorite little white and pink balls. Nom Nom Nom.

Tang Yuan is eaten during the Winter Solstice. Tang Yuan literally means "round balls in soup." The balls, which you can buy frozen or make from rice powder. They sometimes contain stuff inside. My favorite are the unstuffed ones, but they could contain sesame, red bean, and other random chinese desert stuffings.. You know what they are. My grandmother always make this congee with Tang yuan in it an it's so delicious with Longan and peanuts and red beans. Today, I'm just making plain ones... still good. Here's how:

Ingredients:

1. 1 tbsn Sugar

2. 2 cups Glutinous Rice Flour (aka Mochiko Flour or Sweet Rice Flour) note: the box may say gluten-free flour, this is because glutinous rice flour doesn't actually contain any gluten.

3. optional: food coloring.

Combine ingredients in such a way so it makes a little ball of rice dough. I usually start with flour and slowly add water into the mix until it becomes moldable but doesn't stick to your fingers.

Divide into 4 balls and apply color then, break into smaller balls at about 1/2 inch in diameter.

If you make a lot, you can place the extra the little dough balls into a plastic bag and freeze them until use. I made mine fresh. Boil sugar and water an place the little dough balls into the pot. Like gnocchi, the dough balls are done when when they float to the top.

Done! and Enjoy!

Nom nom nom. Happy Winter Solstice!