Foochow (Fuzhou)Taro New Year's Cake 福洲 竽头年糕

This is a Foochow specialty and the recipe is well-guarded and hard to find.  I was told by my family to only pass it on to someone who is a Foochow, but seeing the generosity of other people willing to share their own secret recipes, I am sharing it here.  Unlike regular Chinese New Year's Cake which is made with glutinous flour, this unusual recipe uses tapioca flour.

Recipe:
2 lbs shredded taro (about 8 cups)

1 package tapioca flour or starch (14 oz)
2 tablespoons glutinous flour
1 3/4 teaspoons five-spice powder
Stir together these 3 dry ingredients.

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
3 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/8 tsp salt
Bring these ingredients to a boil.

Put in taro and bring back to a simmer without stirring. Turn off heat.
Stir in dry ingredients.
Pour into well greased pan or pan lined with soy skin (this is the traditional way).
Steam for 1 hour.
Cool completely and chill.
Cut into slices and pan fry before serving.

(Note: To be authentic, stir in one cup of cooked skinless peanuts before steaming, but I always omit this to save time.)