Stuffed Red Dates with Sticky Rice Balls 【心太软】

I made Gold Fish Tang Yuan for winter solstice and have some left over glutinous rice dough that I freeze up. Since "Storm Cyclone" is in town and the temperature plummet to a single digit. 

It is time to thaw my glutinous rice dough and make yummy snacks with red dates and stay warm!

冬至时做金鱼汤圆剩的粉团我给冻上了。

这两天“炸弹气旋” (Storm Cyclone)肆虐美东地区，气温达到创纪录的零下二十度，天寒地冻的周末最适合做的事情就是在家做甜糯的甜点吃啦！

Ingredients：
10-15 Red dates
50-80 g of Glutinous rice flour

1/4 tsp of sugar 

2 tbsp of hot water + some cold water
Some rock sugar and water

材料：

10-15 只 红枣
50-80 克 糯米粉

1/4 小勺糖

2 大勺的热水 + 适量凉水
适量冰糖和水

1. Soak dried red dates in warm water for 20 minutes, discard water and drain.

2. The dates are now softened, slit the dates alongside to remove the seed.

3. Add some sugar to the glutinous flour, then add hot water and let some of the flour to form soft lumps, add cold water little by little to knead the dough until no lumps exist. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

4. Take a small portion of the dough and shape it into a long strip about 1 cm in diameter. Portion the strip to the length of dates.

5. Stuff a portion of the dough strip into the opening of a date, press the opening sides of date against the dough and smoothen surface to seal.

6. Bring half a pot of water in a sauce pan to rolling boil. Add some rock sugar if you like. Add the stuffed dates to cook for 5-6 minutes (For smaller dates) or 7-8 minutes (For bigger dates) at medium heat.

7. Serve warm and please have it with the water the dates cooked in, the dates have now turned the water into dates tea! Sweet and warming.

1. 红枣洗净泡温水里20分钟，沥干备用。

2. 取一只红枣，用尖刀划开一道口，把核取出丢弃。

3. 糯米粉加1/4小勺糖，加两大勺热水拌拌再一点点地加凉水和成一个粉团。加盖放一边饧面十分钟。

4. 取一小团粉团搓成手指粗的长条状，掰成和红枣差不多的长短。把粉团塞入枣内，开口的部分抚平粘合。

5. 把小半锅水煮滚，加点冰糖。把红枣入锅煮5-6分钟，红枣比较大的话，可以多煮1-2分钟。

6. 煮好的枣捞出即可食用，煮枣的水别倒了哦！那可是暖身好喝的红枣水咧！

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