Originating in Shanghai, these mochi-stuffed jujubes are also called soft hearts in Mandarin, named after the soft mochi center at the heart of the jujube (also known as Chinese red dates). The stuffed jujubes are poached in a simple syrup infused with dried osmanthus flowers, which have a floral, honey-like aroma and are often used in teas and desserts. The resulting cute little treats have a subtle sweetness and a satisfyingly chewy texture. They’re a simple dessert to make for a festive occasion and have only four ingredients. Jujubes and dried osmanthus flowers can be found at Asian grocery stores, in local Chinatowns, and online. —Jessie YuChen
See Jessie’s recipes for Mushroom YouFan and Jessie's Special Steamed Whole Fish to complete your Lunar New Year feast, and read about their favorite Lunar New Year traditions here.
What you’ll need
Paring Knife
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Small Saucepan
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Spider
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Recipe information
Yield
2–4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Working one at a time, make a lengthwise cut on 12 dried jujubes all the way to the center; carefully remove pits without breaking them, leaving as much flesh intact as possible. Place pits in a medium saucepan; set aside. Set jujubes aside separately.
Step 2
Combine 6 Tbsp. mochiko (sweet rice flour) and 3 Tbsp. room-temperature water in a medium bowl and mix and press with your hands until a dough forms. Form dough into small balls that are slightly smaller than your jujubes (about 1 tsp. or ½" in diameter), then gently roll balls into fat cylinders. Place a cylinder in the center of each reserved jujube, gently pressing sides to ensure good contact between dough and jujube. (Extra dough can be made into little mochi balls and cooked in syrup.)
Step 3
Place ½ cup raw sugar or light brown sugar, ½ tsp. dried osmanthus flower, and 2 cups water in reserved saucepan with pits (using the pits here will add more jujube flavor to the syrup). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add stuffed jujubes and reduce heat. Simmer gently, adjusting heat as needed, until jujubes float to the surface and mochi is slightly puffed, 10–13 minutes. Remove from heat; fish out and discard pits.
Step 4
Immediately arrange stuffed jujubes on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Drizzle syrup over and top with more dried osmanthus flower. (For a cold and chewier treat, combine jujubes and syrup in an airtight container, cover, and chill at least 20 minutes and up to 2 days.)
Recipe notes
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