What's the Lunar New Year without festive cookies? Make these scrumptious biscuits for loved ones, or just because. These are easy to make and symbolise good fortune.
What's the Lunar New Year without festive cookies? Make these scrumptious biscuits for loved ones, or just because. These are easy to make and symbolise good fortune.
FESTIVE BONUS
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with our 16-page recipe special
BUTTER COOKIES WITH ICING
100 g icing sugar
100 g egg white
500 g butter
500 g sugar
1 kg all-purpose flour
1 egg
100 ml UHT milk
Red food colouring
Yellow food colouring
1. Combine icing sugar and egg white to create royal icing. Mix until creamy.
2. Divide the icing into two small bowls and tint each with a few drops of food colouring. Mix well to get an even colour.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients in another bowl and place dough in chiller for 1 hour.
4. Using a rolling pin, gradually roll the dough to desired thickness.
5. Using a square cookie cutter, stamp the entire surface of the dough.
6. Preheat oven to 160 C. Line baking tray with baking sheet.
7. Place dough cutouts onto baking sheet and bake for 12 mins.
8. Remove from oven and cool completely.
9. Add royal icing on each cookie. Pipe an auspicious Chinese character like fu on the frosting. Leave for icing to set overnight.
From left:
CRISPY SALTED CARAMEL PEANUT PUFF
100 g sugar
50 ml water (for nutty mixture)
200 g peanuts
Sea salt, to taste
100 g sesame seeds
2 eggs
700 g all-purpose flour
100 ml corn oil
300 ml water (for cookie dough)
1. Combine sugar and water in a pan. Set over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil until syrup starts to brown in spots, swirl the pan occasionally.
3. Add in peanuts, salt and sesame seeds. Remove, blend into a paste, set aside to cool.
4. Combine eggs, all-purpose flour and water, and mix well. Set the dough aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
5. Cut dough and form into balls.
6. Fill dough with the cooked nutty caramel mixture to form the puffs.
7. Heat oil in a wok and fry the puffs over medium-low heat until golden brown.
8. Drain in a metal strainer.
MIXED NUTS FLORENTINE COOKIES
45 g butter
100 g sugar
25 g all-purpose flour 50 ml water
50 g white sesame seeds
50 g black sesame seeds
100 g pumpkin seeds
100 g sunflower seeds
100 g almond flakes
1. Combine butter, sugar, all-purpose fl our and water. Mix well.
2. Mix all the seeds and almond fl akes together. Set aside.
3. Line baking tray with baking sheet.
4. Spread mixture evenly on tray and sprinkle seeds on it.
5. Preheat oven to 180 C.
6. Bake for 10 mins, until golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and set to cool.
FORTUNE COOKIES
6 eggs, egg white only
250 g sugar
100 g butter, melted
100 ml water
100 g all-purpose flour
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1. Write fortune messages on strips of paper about 4 inches long and ½ inch wide.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg white, sugar, butter and water. Whip until mixture is frothy.
3. Add in all-purpose flour and vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 170 C. Line baking tray with baking sheet.
5. Scoop a small amount of batter onto the baking sheet and spread it out thinly into 3-inch circles.
6. Bake for 6 mins, until the edges brown slightly.
7. Remove from oven and place fortune strip in the middle.
8. Fold cookie in half and place it on the edge of a cup or mug to hold its shape. Set aside to cool.
MANDARIN ORANGE COOKIES
250 g butter
100 g icing sugar
210 g all-purpose flour
250 g potato flour
10 g milk powder
10 g mandarin orange paste
Orange food colouring
Green food colouring
Cloves, as garnish
1. In a large bowl, combine butter and icing sugar. Beat the mixture until fluffy.
2. Add in all-purpose flour, potato flour, milk powder, mandarin orange paste and a few drops of orange food colouring. Mix well.
3. Place dough in chiller for 30 mins.
4. Preheat oven to 150 C. Line baking tray with baking sheet.
5. To create leaves, knead a small amount of dough and add a few drops of green food colouring.
6. Form remaining dough into ½-inch balls. Place leaves and clove on top to make mini oranges.
7. Arrange the cookie dough 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
8. Bake for 20 mins till golden brown.
9. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
PISTACHIO COOKIES
830 g butter
100 g sugar
1 egg
1 kg all-purpose flour
400 g pistachio, chopped
Salt, to taste
1. Combine butter and sugar. Beat mixture until fluffy.
2. Add in egg, all-purpose flour, pistachio and salt. Mix well and place dough in chiller for 30 mins.
3. Preheat oven to 160 C. Line baking tray with baking sheet.
4. Form dough into balls of preferred size and place on baking sheet.
5. Bake for 12 mins, until golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and set to cool.
These auspicious cookie recipes are from assistant pastry chef Yap Wai Keong, from One World Hotel Petaling Jaya. He hopes they will bring joy and happiness to you and your loved ones.
PHOTOS: ROBIN YONG
ART DIRECTION AND STYLING: ERO WEE
