Tangyuan with peanut filling

Ingredients:

• 0.5 cup + 1 tablespoon roasted unsalted peanuts
• 5 tbsp. granulated sugar
• A pinch of coarse salt
• 2.5 tbsp chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1cm pieces
• 1 1/4 cups sweet rice flour, plus more as needed for working with the dough
• 0.5 cups + 1 tablespoon boiling water
• Pink gel food coloring to tint the dough

Preparation:

1. Lightly toast the peanuts in a small skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the peanuts to a food processor, add the sugar and salt, and process on high speed, stopping the processor as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the peanuts form a paste, about 3 minutes more. Peanuts can be replaced with black sesame seeds..
2. Stir in the butter until very smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl and freeze until the paste hardens, about 45 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour and boiling water until the water is absorbed and the dough is soft and not sticky.
   
   Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
4. Pinch off a small piece of dough (about 1 teaspoon), roll it into a 1-cm diameter ball, add it to a pan of boiling water, and cook until it floats to the surface, about 2 minutes. Pat the ball dry, then knead it back into the dough in the bowl until smooth. If the dough is still sticky, add more rice flour.
5. Using gloved hands, scoop up three-quarters of the dough and mix it with 5 drops of pink gel food coloring (see Note) until the dough is uniformly pink. Divide the pink dough into 20 pieces, roll them into balls, and cover with a damp towel. Using clean hands, divide the remaining white dough into 4 pieces, roll them into balls, and cover with another damp towel. Set aside.
   
   Note
   If you don't want to use artificial coloring, you can add 1 tablespoon of beetroot juice instead.
6. Scoop out the chilled peanut filling, 0.5-1 teaspoon at a time, to make 24 servings, and place on a plastic-lined plate. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
   
   Roll each piece into a ball and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
7. Flatten each piece of dough into a 5cm (2-inch) disc and place a ball of peanut filling in the center. Carefully wrap the dough around the filling and roll into a smooth ball. If the peanut filling becomes too soft, freeze it for an additional 10 minutes. Once all the rice balls are assembled, place them under a damp towel to keep them moist and soft.
8. In a large saucepan, bring water to a gentle simmer and cook the rice balls, a few at a time, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking, until they begin to float, 5-7 minutes. Place 1 white rice ball in a small bowl, surrounding 5 pink rice balls with a little water from the saucepan to form a flower. Serve warm.