Nian Gao

One popular dessert eaten during Chinese New Years is Nian Gao (年糕). One of the reasons it's eaten during this time is because the words "nian gao (粘糕)", meaning "sticky cake," sounds just like the words 年高, which means something along the lines of "growing taller every year." Similar to "a pinch to grow an inch," this is just used to wish the person good health in the new year. (wikihow)

Ingredients:
- 2 cups Brown Sugar
- 1 400mL can coconut milk
- 1 lb bag glutinous rice flour
- 2 dried dates

Boil 1/4 cup of water in a pot. Add the brown sugar. The liquid level should rise as the brown sugar dissolves. Let it cool and then add the can of coconut milk. Then slowly add the glutinous flour while stirring. The mixture should be smooth. Pour into a mold and steam until u can stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean. Should take at least 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the nian gao. If you want you can place a red dried date in the center 15 minutes into steaming.

Tips: Line the molds with sarane wrap before pouring in the coconut/sugar/flour mixture. Therefore you can just lift the saran wrap to get the nian gao out. Nian gao is very sticky!

Recipe Source: My grandma