February 1, 2022 happens to be Chinese New Year! One of my favourite traditional foods is 年糕, and being away from my family this year made me crave these touches of home more and more. I asked my Mom to send me the recipe, and I was excited to give it a whirl.
- 1 package of Glutinous rice flour (454 g)
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 2 and 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 tsp Oil
- 3 Eggs
Family Recipe
There’s only one step! You combine all of the ingredients well, and bake it at 190°C (375°F) for 45 minutes. I was brainstorming with my parents, and we think that it could be interesting to try replacing the milk with coconut milk! It might add an interesting flavour to the dessert, which is fairly mild in this current version. For the record, it’s a running joke that the highest praise that an Asian parent can give a dessert is that it is “not too sweet”, and this definitely fits the bill. I personally also love the chewy texture of the “crust”, but I know that texture isn’t for everyone.
There are actually a few different versions of 年糕 , with this being the baked version. You can also have it steamed, or dipped in egg and fried! As a child, I loved the fried egg version, but the baked version has quickly become my favourite now that I am older. This dessert is included in the list of traditional foods for Chinese New Year since the name of it sounds like a phrase that wishes for improvement or growth each year. Does your family have a special cultural tradition or favourite food?
Until next time, happy crafting!