English version after the Chinese
先講明，我家其實不太吃年糕。但是逢件過節總想吃一點點。試過買的，不知是我找的地方不對還是北加州沒有糕點師傅，都不太好吃。上網查過了，決定試著做。
然後，先講結論。若只吃一底、甚至兩啖，不值得做。
北方年糕是白的，但南方年糕是紅的。基本上，是由水、糯米粉和糖組成。
試做了三年，總算有小小心得。但離不開時間、搓的均勻度、和成色。
顏色
若顏色不靠色素（紅色色素、玫瑰醬）就是靠糖色（椰糖、黑片糖）。可能要多試一、兩次調色，但只要糖有色，糕就有色。假如說，你糖不想要太多，但顏色要紅，就考慮黑片糖。
時間
與其說是時間，不如說是成團溫度。成團時溫度仍是暖的。這樣做出來最彈牙。原理我也不是很懂，但我估計是糯米粉吸水和煮熟所需的環境。
如果不幸冷掉了其實也沒關係。搓的均勻度和最後調的濃稠度最重要。
搓的均勻度
簡單講，會搓麵包的人就會搓糕。動作很相似，但質感差很多。搓出來有點像sticky sand / magic sand。用力擠麵團會有 jie jie 的聲音。然後，跟做麵包一樣，確認所有糯米粉都混合成團很重要！
用機打 vs 手搓
你可能會說，用廚師機打不就可以了﹖我試過了，不太行。
首先，廚師機搓太慢了，成團時已組冷掉了。
再來，我是5qt Kitchen Aid Professional series 廚師機，底部會殘留很多糯米粉。
最後，挺難洗的。
但是！就是這個但是，廚師機的確能省點力。倒糖水落糯米粉的步驟可以用廚師機代勞，不用用筷子攪。做量大的話會比較輕鬆哦！
筷子 vs 打蛋器
若不用廚師機，筷子或者兩枝能拆開又合體用的長枝條大概是最好的選擇。我試過用打蛋器攪拌，結果都黏在打蛋器上面了！這時候麵團非常熱，到或用不用手把糯米粉拿下來﹖
豬油
好了，前面講過，基本上年糕由水、糯米粉和糖組成。那麼，豬油是甚麼回事呢﹖
搓麵包不是也會在最後搓入牛油以增加香氣和保持濕潤嗎﹖就差不多同一功用，而且煎的時候不用另外下油。就算不下也不影響年糕質地。
一次蒸不完怎麼辦﹖
我試過，分次蒸是可以的。但最好蒸之前才倒入模，因為有可能蒸的時候水分已經蒸發了一點。變硬了的話，加一點點冷水拌勻就可以了。
做法
材料：
糯米粉 ~500g （一包的份量，500少一點點）
熱水 ~150ml
冷水 / 室溫水 500ml 有剩
（糖類總量200g）
椰糖 100g
黑片糖 100g
**關於糖，用片糖、紅糖、冰糖、甚至白糖都可以。總量夠就可以。
豬油（可省略）~30g
時間 30分鐘 + 蒸1.5小時 可參考我的影片
詳細做法請參考貞選廚房
- 煮熱水溶糖
- 糯米粉中間挖洞
- 舀入一湯殼糖水
- 用筷子攪至糖水被吸收
- 重覆3-4至糖水用完
- 此時麵團應該不太熱，可以用手搓至成團。壓的時候會發出一點吱吱聲
- 如果加入豬油，此時把豬油搓入，麵團會稍帶光滑
- 舀入半湯殼冷水
- 搓至水不再變更深色
- 重覆2-3次，粉團會逐漸變鬆散
- 繼續步驟7-8，粉團應該呈泥漿狀
- 用手找出沒溶掉的粉，盡量捽散
- 沾一點粉漿，從高處落下。如果能呈絲帶狀疊起，粉漿完成。否則加小許冷水至能疊起
- 模具沾油，倒入粉漿
- 蒸一小時三十分鐘
- 取出放涼
- 脫模
- 完成
- 脫模後冷藏（雪）一晚更佳
Year cake from the Norther China (and east Asia such as Japan and Korea) are usually white Year cake (I believe some call them Rice cake or Sticky Rice cake), verses the Southern China (and west Asia such as Malaysia) are in red. However, they share the same basic ingredients: water, sticky rice flour (some use rice flour only) and sugar.
I tried making Year cake for 3 years. So I believe I have the creditability to share some thoughts and tips. The most important aspect that define your success are timing, kneading, and color.
Color
If you are not using chemical source or added pigment for color, the color of the sugar defines your Year cake's color. I use Palm sugar and Black cane sugar. Cane sugar or Rock sugar are also options for color and sweetness adjustment. You may want to try for a few times to adjust the color. But generally, if you want pigment, blend / choose your sugar.
Timing
It is not about the amount of time you dedicate to make your dough and better. It is about the warmth of the dough. If your dough were warm before you add cold water, it will holds the chewiest texture. I don't really know the science behind it tho. But as far as I understand Chinese dim sum making, it probably how sticky rice cook and stretch.
Kneading
Simply saying, people who can knead a bread, are probably also good at kneading a Year cake dough. The dough will feel like sticky sand / magic sand. When you squish it hard, it will make some jie jie sound. In addition, just like making bread, kneading it properly is important.
Stand Mixer vs hand kneading
You may think, why don't you use a stand mixer to knead? I tried. It doesn't work well.
First of all, stand mixer is not aggressive enough. If you can get the stand mixer to knead to the desire texture, the dough will be cold and hard at the time.
Second, I tried on a 5qt Kitchen Aid Professional series. Many sticky rice flour will remain at the bottom.
Last, but not least, its hard to clean. Because of the nature of sticky rice flour, once it sticks, you need to sock it for very long time to get ride of it.
BUT! Stand mixer came into useful at early stage of making Year cake. There is a step that you need to pour hot sugar water into the flour and mix it well. If you are making a large batch, stand mixer will come into handy.
Whisks vs Chopsticks
From my experience, chopsticks or 2 sticks that can separate are the best option. I tried using a whisk but the wetted sticky rice flour will stick and stay on it, make the whisk really heavy and difficult to blend. At the time the whisk didn't came in handy, and the dough were hot, what should you do? Remove the sticky rice lump from the whisk?
Pork lard
So, as mentioned, Year cake is a combination of water, sticky rice flour and sugar. What where is pork lard?
Just go back to making bread. Don't we add butter in order to keep the dough moist and smell? Adding lard is also for the tender and moist. In addition, if you have enough lard, you don't need to use oil to pan fry it before you eat.
What if I cannot steam them all at one batch?
You can separate it into batches. However, it is recommended to pour into the mold before you steam because the batter may evaporated some water or the sticky rice flour may absorb the water when it is waiting. The texture will change a little bit, become stiffer. All you need to do is to add a tiny bit of water, stir it well, then it is good to go.
Directions
Ingredients:
Sticky Rice flour ~500g ( one pack never reaches 500. It is always less then 500g)
Hot water ~150 ml
Cold / Room temp water 500 ml (more then enough)
(Total sugar use 200g)
Palm sugar 100g
Black cane sugar 100g
**For sugar, it doesn't matter of what sugar. As long as you have the total amount.
Lard ~30g
Time use 30 min + steam for 1.5 hour. You can watch my video as timing reference
For more detailed steps and samples, please reference to Jin Jin Kitchen
- Boil the hot water and add sugars till all sugar dissolve
- Add 1 ladle of liquid sugar into sticky rice flour
- Use chopsticks to stir, until liquid sugar dissolve by sticky rice flour
- Repeat step 2-3 until liquid sugar are used
- At this time, the flour and its lumps should be warm enough to hold by hands. Knead to form a dough. When squeeze hard, some jie jie sound will came from the dough
- If you are planning to add lard, add the lard now, until the dough becomes smooth.
- Add a ladle of cold / room temperature water
- Knead to water doesn't change color
- Repeat step 7-8 for a few times, until dough become soft
- Continue to repeat step 7-8, until dough feels like mud
- Search for lumps ( undissolved sticky rice flour), squeeze and make it blend into the batter
- Rise your hand from high to test texture of batter. If batter drops and form ribbon-like, it is ready for the next step. Otherwise, add little bit of water and mix it in to create texture
- Once ready, oil your mold, pour the batter
- Steam for 1.5 hours
- Take out for cool down
- Remove from mold
- Your Year cake is ready
- Refrigerate overnight for better texture
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