Yuanxiao Makeover

After coming face-to-face with freezer-burned yuanxiao (sticky sweet rice balls) on the night of Lantern Festival, I vowed to learn how to make this Chinese dish.  Now, despite what the name of my blog suggests, I am not a natural cook (my husband is the cook in our house…but that’s a topic for another post!).  I love to eat good food, and really appreciate the magic in the kitchen that produces memorable meals.  But, sadly and despite my earnestness, I often fail to conjure such magic.

Take my latest experiment of making yuanxiao for example.  I followed RasaMalaysia’s recipe (minus the ginger syrup), and all was going splendidly until I took my first taste of the steaming dumpling.  It was salty!  I searched my mind, trying to figure out where I went wrong.  Salted butter! The recipe calls for unsalted butter, and in my haste, I grabbed the salted variety instead.  Oops.
 

I was determined to find a way to redeem this treat for my family (my poor daughter gagged after her first taste!)  And then the idea hit me, Nutella!  What is the magic hazelnut spread that makes all things taste yummy to a six-year-old? 

Nutella.

So, I remade RasaMalaysia's recipe, using Nutella instead of sesame paste as a filler (I stuck the jar in the freezer for a few minutes to stiffen the spread. Don't leave it in too long, though, or it will harden like concrete.)   

My yuanxiao, all rolled and ready to be boiled.

Three little yuanxiao. Aren't they cute?

And the result was....surprisingly delicious!  The Nutella filling in the cooked yuanxiao was warm and creamy, contrasting the thick, chewy mochi-textured outside.  Next time, I'm going to try a different rice flour (I used Koda Farms' Sweet Rice Flour this time) to see if I can make the outside layer thinner.  

What are your ideas for new yuanxiao fillings?