Ingredients:

Filling:
1/2 C + 3 T black sesame powder
3/4 C sugar
6 T  soft unsalted butter

Dough:
2 1/2 C sweet (glutinous) rice flour
2 T rice flour
1 C  + 3 T lukewarm water

Syrup:
3 C water
Sugar or brown sugar to taste
a pandan leaf (if available)

Instructions:

To Make Filling:
Place sesame powder and sugar in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Add butter and mix thoroughly. It will have consistency of wet sand.
Refrigerate 30 min – 1 hour till firm.
With a teaspoon , scoop a small amounts of mixture and roll into  balls, the size of small marbles (between 1/2 – 3/4″ diameter). Refrigerate till ready to use or freeze for later use.

to make dough:
Mix flours thoroughly in a bowl.
Add the lukewarm water slowly and mix by hand until a wet ball is formed. The ball should be wet but not sticking to the hand.
Knead until a smooth ball is formed, about 7 mins.
Let rest 20 mins.
Cut dough into 4 equal parts.
Roll each part into a long tube about 1.5 inch in diameter. Break into chunks about 1.5 inch long.
Roll each chunk into a ball, flatten the ball into a flat round in your hand. Place a sesame ball in the middle and seal. Roll into a round ball. Place finished dumplings on a plate. They can also be frozen for future use.

To make the syrup:
Bring 3 cups of water with the pandan leaf to a boil in a small saucepan.
Add sugar or brown sugar to the sweetness you prefer. I just sweeten it like I would a sweet tea.
After the sugar has melted, keep syrup on very low heat to keep warm till serving, and also to bring out the fragrance of the pandan.

To cook:
Fill  a med-big saucepan halfway with water.
Bring water to a rolling boil.
Add dumplings 8-10 at a time.
Keep water at a light boil. Remove dumpling with a slotted spoon when cooked (when they rise to the top).Transfer to the small saucepan with the light syrup. Can be left soaking in the syrup for a while before serving. Dumplings will not fall apart.
Serve dumplings with a small amount of the syrup.