Ba bao fan (八宝饭, eight treasure glutinous rice) is the sweet glutinous rice dessert of Chinese New Year celebrations — a mound of glutinous rice studded with eight types of dried fruit, nuts, and sweet fillings (the 'eight treasures'), typically including dried longans, raisins, red dates (jujubes), lotus seeds, preserved melon, wolf berries, preserved plum, and pumpkin seeds, arranged decoratively on top of the rice before steaming, then inverted onto the serving platter so the decoration is uppermost. At the center of the rice is a core of sweet red bean paste.
The glutinous rice: Soak glutinous rice overnight. Steam 25-30 minutes until cooked. Season while still hot with lard (or vegetable shortening), sugar, and Shaoxing wine. The rice should be sticky and slightly sweet. The arrangement: Brush a heatproof bowl or mold with lard. Arrange the eight treasures in a decorative pattern on the bottom of the bowl. Press a layer of the seasoned glutinous rice over the decorations to form the base layer (which will become the top when inverted). Make a hollow in the center of the rice. Fill with 3-4 tbsp of red bean paste. Press more rice over the paste to seal. Steaming: Steam 30-40 minutes until completely heated through and the glutinous rice is perfectly sticky. Inverting: Run a knife around the edge of the bowl. Place a serving platter over the bowl. Invert quickly and confidently. The ba bao fan should unmold cleanly with the decoration on top. The glaze: A sweet sauce of the steaming liquid, sugar, and a small amount of cornstarch is poured over the unmolded ba bao fan before serving.
Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking (2009); Ken Hom, Complete Chinese Cookbook (2011)