4 Easy And Adorable Sanrio Character Dessert Dumpling Recipes For Dragon Boat Festival 2024
If you're wondering when the Dragon Boat Festival is in 2024, it's splashing into Singapore on 10 June. Along with the festival comes the much-loved 'bak zhang,' or glutinous rice dumplings. This traditional dish is especially popular during the festival, which honours the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan. According to the story, Qu Yuan drowned himself in a river, and villagers paddled out in boats to save him. To keep the fish away from his body, they threw rice dumplings into the water.
So, whether you make them at home or buy them ready-made, bak zhang is always wrapped in bamboo leaves and cooked to perfection.
Photo from Beng Hiang
However for this year, let's try something different. We've found some simple and cute recipes to make Sanrio character dessert dumplings! These fun twists on the classic bak zhang will bring a bit of extra joy to your Dragon Boat Festival celebrations. Let's get right into it!
#1 Kuromi Purple Sweet Potato Dumpling
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
What you'll need:
- Black glutinous rice
- Glutinous rice
- Purple sweet potato
- Taro
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Bamboo leaves
- Fresh milk
- Chocolate
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
Instructions:
- Cook a mix of black glutinous rice and glutinous rice in equal ratio until done. Add a bit of sugar for flavour and set aside.
- Steam chunks of purple sweet potato and taro until soft (about 30 minutes). Mash them and gradually add a little fresh milk to mix well. Then add a bit of sweetened condensed milk and sugar, and stir until smooth.
- Soften cream cheese, mix in some sugar, and roll into small balls.
- Take a portion of the mashed purple sweet potato and taro mixture and wrap it around a cream cheese ball, forming a ball.
- Blanch bamboo leaves and remove stems. Layer 2-3 leaves, fold into an inverted triangle, fill with cooked black glutinous rice, place the sweet potato ball inside, seal with more black glutinous rice. Wrap tightly with bamboo leaves and secure with string.
- Remove the bamboo leaves. Sculpt the ears with black glutinous rice, the top with taro, and the facial features with cream cheese and melted chocolate.
#2 Pompompurin Kabocha Squash (Japanese Pumpkin) Dumpling
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
What you'll need:
- Glutinous rice
- Corn kernels
- Kabocha squash
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Bamboo leaves
- Chocolate
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
Instructions:
- Cook glutinous rice mixed with corn kernels and a bit of kabocha squash until done. Add a little sugar for flavour.
- Steam the kabocha squash with its skin on (about 30 minutes). Don't use regular pumpkin as it's too watery. Mash it up and mix in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- Soften cream cheese, mix in some sugar to taste until smooth, and roll into small balls.
- Take a portion of the mashed kabocha squash and wrap it around a cream cheese ball, shaping it into a round ball.
- Blanch bamboo leaves and remove stems. Layer 2-3 leaves, fold into an inverted triangle, fill with cooked corn kernels, place the kabocha squash cheese ball inside, seal with more corn kernels. Tie the dumpling tightly with string to shape.
- Remove the bamboo leaves. Sculpt the ears, add a bit of melted chocolate on top, and use the melted chocolate to add facial features.
#3 My Melody Cream Cheese Bayberry Dumpling
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
What you'll need:
- Glutinous rice
- Sugar
- Cream cheese
- Bayberry
- Cactus fruit powder
- Chocolate
- Bamboo leaves
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
Instructions:
- Steam the glutinous rice, then mix in some sugar and cactus fruit powder to give it a light pink colour. You can dissolve the cactus fruit powder in a bit of water for better colouring.
- Mix a little sugar into the cream cheese for flavour. Wrap a bayberry (remove the pit if possible) in the cream cheese and roll it into a ball.
- Blanch bamboo leaves and remove stems. Layer 2-3 leaves and fold into an inverted triangle. Press in the rice, add the cream cheese bayberry ball, then fill with more rice, pressing it down firmly. Seal with the bamboo leaves and tie tightly with string.
- Remove the bamboo leaves. Shape a small piece of cream cheese into an oval for Melody's face and attach it to the top.
- Sculpt the ears, melt the chocolate and use it to add facial features.
#4 Pochacco Red Bean Chestnut Dumpling
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
What you'll need:
- Glutinous rice
- Red bean paste
- Chestnuts
- Bamboo leaves
- Sugar
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
Photo from 小红书 @逗皮的食光
Instructions:
- Steam the Glutinous rice and mix in a bit of sugar for flavour.
- Wrap a chestnut in red bean paste and roll it into a ball.
- Blanch the bamboo leaves and let them drain. Take 2-3 leaves and fold them into an inverted triangle.
- Press some glutinous rice into the leaves, add the red bean chestnut ball, then cover with more glutinous rice, pressing firmly. Seal the dumpling and tie it tightly with string.
- Remove the bamboo leaves. Shape two ears from red bean paste and attach them to the dumpling. Add eyes and a nose for decoration.
And there you have it! Not your typical bak zhang, right? This Dragon Boat Festival, why not mix things up with your family and friends by giving these 4 easy and cute recipes a try!
