Full Happiness Treasure Pudding
This dessert is as beautiful as it is delicious, a creamy plant-based rice pudding infused with a special ingredient, then filled with a fresh fruity filling and decorated with lots of preserved fruits too!
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The first time I knowingly encountered mimosa flowers, I was enchanted. How could you not be? Delicate but bright little tufts of thread filled the air with a bewitching fragrance - something intensely floral, something tropical, something impossible to define. As I sat there in the sunlight taking it all in, a nostalgic song popped into my head:
Oh, who can take tomorrow
Dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream
The Candy Man
Oh, the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can
'Cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good
It’s as if the fragrance that so bewitched me from those whimsical blossoms held metaphors and ideals in the airways, similar to the precise descriptions and magical concepts in this classic song. In this case, it fits the scene pretty perfectly; not only are mimosa blossoms delightful to experience, they’re also associated with happiness and comfort. In Chinese Medicine, these blossoms are called “He Huan Ha,” which translates literally as “full happiness flowers.” As these trees spread from Asia, the knowledge of their properties spread too, and they are known as ‘the tree of happiness’ in many cultures today. They do indeed have a remarkable way of separating the sorrow and infusing their magic into cream… even now, in the cold days of late winter, the dried blossoms can share their magic when incorporated into various teas or other delights or, as now, puddings.
Puddings and desserts have been viewed as good luck charms in many cultures throughout history. I think of the single blanched almond stirred into traditional Scandinavian Risgrynsgröt on Christmas eve; whomever discovers the nut will have good luck in the following year. Other cakes hide tokens (like the King Cakes of Mardi Gras), while still others contain fortunes (like the tradition of pulling charms from red velvet wedding cakes in the Southern U.S.) One that has really captured my interest lately is the ‘8 Treasure Rice Pudding’ eaten on the Chinese New Year. This good-luck treat is traditionally made from steamed rice filled with red bean jam, decorated with eight kinds of preserved fruits or nuts. It is said to have originated in the Western Zhou Dynasty, over 2000 years ago! (A dish has to be pretty special to survive that long.) It hasn’t been just a sweet treat all this time, though. The lucky eight fruits that decorate it are meant to provide a therapeutic effect. (Traditional options were “dried red dates, lotus seeds, candied plums, sweetened winter melon, dried longan, red bean paste, assorted beans, assorted nuts, etc.” according to this blog post about the tradition) It’s associated with the Chinese New Year but is served at other special occasions as well. Something about the sweetness and comfort of cakes and puddings has made them vessels for celebration, hope, and meaning the world over. This beautiful dish is no exception.
To call my recipe an “interpretation” of this classic Chinese dish would be a disservice to both. The textures and flavors are quite different! What remains the same is the combination of rice, eight treats, and intention.
In these later days of winter, it can sometimes feel like spring is just out of reach and yet an eternity away. The spring fever hits hard as we dream of sunshine on our shoulders and warm soil to plant our flowers in. This dessert is a reminder that there is much joy to be found right here, right now. Open a jar of those bewitching flowers to infuse into a creamy rice pudding. Fill it with a fruity treat that echoes those tropical notes from the mimosa flowers. Decorate it with bright colors and preserved bits of summertime. Infuse the process with intention as you create it, then snuggle in and enjoy.
(*A word of caution: though there is no evidence of this in any Chinese sources, some herbalists have observed that Albizia may provoke a manic reaction in people susceptible to mania. As with anything, it’s best to try just a little bit at first and see how your body reacts.)
Before you begin cooking your pudding, decide what 8 treasures you’d like to use for your own, and what each of them represents to you. My example is below, but feel free to change up both ingredients and meanings! Once you have your treasures assembled (or made, if you’re cooking them yourself), you can begin on the pudding.
Toppings:
Candied kumquats : creativity
Goji berries: vitality
Morello cherries: sensuality
Candied Pineapple: adventure
Fresh strawberries: romance
Dates: sweetness
Dried blueberries: time in nature
Dried apricots: optimism
Mimosa Rice Pudding
This recipe makes enough for one large, or one medium and one small. The dome shown here was made in this domed pan.
Ingredients:
8 c. whole milk (or plant-based milk, to make it vegan)
½ c. loosely packed dried mimosa blossoms
2 c. raw short grained white rice
½ tsp. Kosher salt
⅓ c. sugar
2 Tbs. unsalted butter (or vegan butter substitute)
Directions:
Stick the mimosa blossoms in with the milk and refrigerate overnight. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and heat until just barely simmering, then shut off the heat, cover the pan, and allow to infuse for about half an hour.
Strain the milk into a large saucepan. Add the rice, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce the heat and continue to cook at a simmer for 15-25 minutes, or until the pudding has reduced and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (You should be able to run your finger on a line on the back of the spoon and the pudding won’t seep back.)
Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill to room temperature. Make the filling, then you can assemble the pudding.
Pineapple and Strawberry Filling:
Ingredients:
1 (20 oz) can of crushed pineapple
2 cups strawberries, chopped
¾ c. sugar
Big pinch salt
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1 vanilla bean
Directions:
Reserve ½ c. pineapple juice, then pour the rest of the pineapple and the strawberries into a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds, then add the scrapings and the pod to the mixture. Add the sugar and salt and start stirring.
In a small cup, mix the cornstarch with the reserved pineapple juice, stirring to create a smooth slurry. Make sure it is evenly blended with no lumps, then pour it into the pan of pineapple and strawberry, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, gently stirring, until the mixture has thickened to coat the back of a spoon. Bubbles should be “heavy” and popping upwards. (better way to word that?)
Remove the mixture from the stove and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool to room temperature, then remove the vanilla bean pods. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your pudding.
Assembly and Ritual:
It is completely optional to infuse this dish with a reflective ritual, but I think it makes the process all the more meaningful. All you’ll need are the cooled rice pudding, the 8 treasures you’ve picked, and the fruity filling, all chilled.
Directions:
Line a bowl or curved cake pan with plastic wrap (or oil it really well.) Place your first treasure into the middle bottom of the pan. State aloud what it represents to you and what you hope it brings into your life in the coming year. Add the next treasure in a circle around it and repeat.
Gently spoon in some of the rice pudding, pressing it with damp hands to cover the treasures below it.
Continue on in this way, adding a layer or two of treasures and speaking aloud what they represent to you, then covering them with rice pudding. Once you have a dome of pudding built and firmly packed, fill it with the fruity filling, then cover and chill overnight so that everything can come together.
Gently unmold on a serving platter. Ask each person to share what they hope the coming year will bring, then enjoy your “full happiness” treat together!
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Join me for a little winter night magic as we bake this cake full of rich seasonal flavors and black cocoa!