Kueh Bahlu ~ Mini Chinese Sponge Cake

Chinese New Year is fast approaching. This year it falls on Valentine's Day 14th February. Kuih bahlu is one of the many traditional cakes served during the new year period.

We don't restrict ourselves to having kueh bahulu once a year but make it quite often throughout the year for our morning tea. The tiny cake is spongy and light. With not a trace of fat, butter or oil it is a dieter's dream.

Makes 16

Ingredients
1 large egg
30gm sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract

30gm plain flour
1/8 tsp baking powder

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Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever since I had a bite of this cookie at my sis-in-law's, it has been our favourite. A very light, airy and crunchy chocolate chip cookie though it can be made chewy if that is what you fancy. All we served it to, seems to prefer cookies to be crunchy instead of chewy as we don't like bits of biscuits stuck in the teeth.

Even though this is a slightly healthier version than most of the recipes out there, they are still detrimental to ones waistline !

Makes 30-34 cookies

Ingredients
125 gm butter
40 gm brown sugar
70 gm sugar
1 egg
½ tsp homemade vanilla extract

120 gm chocolate chips

190 gm plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder

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Honeycomb Biscuit~Kuih Loyang~Kuih Rose

A biscuit with many names. Some call it kuih loyang, kuih goyang, kuih rose, beehive or plain old honeycomb biscuit. This is a very popular cookie for Chinese New Year.

This recipe produces beehives that are light and crispy. Mr Redneck likes his with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Makes about 16 biscuits

Ingredients
1 small egg (45g with shell, 40g without)
35g sugar
100ml coconut milk
60g plain flour
25g rice flour
1 tsp water

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Fah Sang Paeng ~ Chinese Peanut Cookies

Another one of those cookies that are popularly served during Chinese New Year. I make these peanut cookies throughout the year as it is just too moreish to confine it to just a special ocassion.

Make them small enough to pop the whole cookie into the mouth as it is very crumbly.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my family and friends throughout the world KONG HEI FATT CHOY.

May the New Year bring everyone Prosperity, Good Health, Wealth and Good Eats.

Makes 77 cookies

Ingredients
300g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
110g sugar
200g coarse ground roasted peanut
130-170ml corn oil, veg oil or onion oil

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Nan's Shortbread

Mr Redneck have given these shortbread the thumbs up and said they were very moreish.


I didn't want to make it into the traditional shaped shortbread but have instead used my Sawa Cookies press. The press started with small size cookies but half way through the size changed to big ones... I have no idea why! The press must have read the thoughts of Mr Redneck who like big biscuits whereas I like them small and cute.


I have given these out as Christmas gifts and the feedback I received was all positive except for the smart remarks on the 'cute' size. These would be ideal for Chinese New Year as well which is just round the corner.


Makes 24 small + 30 normal size cookies

Ingredients
200g butter, room temperature
90g caster sugar
60g cornflour
270g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

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Chocolate Pinwheel Biscuits

I like these pinwheel biscuits because they are hard and crunchy. Good for teething babies too ! If you like to dunk your biscuits in coffee, then this is it.

The dough of these pinwheels can be kept in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 4 weeks. The biscuit dough can be shaped into rectangles, rounds or squares.


Ingredients
175 gm butter
80-125 gm sugar
75-100 gm brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
350 gm flour
2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp cocoa

Method
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla slowly and beat well.

2. Fold in sieved flour and baking powder.

3. Divide the dough into half. Add 1 Tbsp cocoa to one portion. Mix well. Cover the doughs and refrigerate for ½ hour to firm up the dough (a firmer dough is easier to roll)

4. Roll each dough into 3mm thick on a sheet of baking paper. I find it easier to work with half quantity of each dough.

5. Flip the plain dough onto the chocolate layer (fig 3).

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Kueh Kapit ~ Love Letters

Kueh Kapit aka love letters are a traditional Chinese New Year biscuit. This recipe is from my aunts who have been making these for decades. The love letters are a fragile, crispy and crunchy biscuit and very addictive. Making kueh kapit is not for the faint hearted. It is hot work and very fiddly.

Makes 4 milk powder tins

Ingredients

220 gm sugar
130 gm rice flour
1 tsp tapioca flour
4 large eggs
250 ml thick coconut milk
60-80 ml water

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Kok Chai with Peanut or Har Mai Fillings

Kok chai (peanut puff) is one of the traditional goodies served during Chinese New Year. They can either have a filling of sweet peanut or savoury har mai (hae bee hiam).

Makes 65

Ingredients for Dough
1 egg yolk
½ egg
70 gm peanut or corn oil
70 gm water
280gm flour

Method
1. Into a food processor add the flour and eggs.
2. Add the oil and water until the mixture begins to look like breadcrumbs.
3. Remove and knead gently into a smooth dough.
4. Rest dough for 2 hours.
5. Divide the dough into several portions.
6. Roll the dough thinly. (I took the easy way out and used the pasta machine to roll)
7. Cut into rounds. Place a round pastry onto the mould, add either peanut or savoury hae bee hiam in the centre. Dip your finger into water, moisten half the edge and shut mould to seal.

8. Deep fry on medium high heat till golden brown.

Note : My kok chai mould measures 2½" in diameter which is the smallest available. If you are good with manual pleating, the kok chai can be made smaller.



Peanut filling

Makes 35 kok chai

150 gm ground roasted peanut
25 gm toasted sesame
85 gm castor sugar

Mix all three ingredients together and used as required.

Recipe : hugbear @ imperial kitchen

Ma Fah ~Crispy Twistie Biscuits

'Ma Fah' biscuits are my childhood favourite. The biscuit are hard and crunchy. The slightly fatter biscuits are not as hard as the thinner ones.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda

½ egg
2 Tbsp egg or water (if required)

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Yee Chai Pang {Spiral Ear Biscuit}

The spiral ear biscuit bring back a feeling of nostalgia. As a child, I remember yee chai pang (as they are known in cantonese) being an all time favourite. The biscuit is savoury in taste, not hard but very crunchy and is also very moreish.


Makes : 48 biscuits

Ingredients
175g plain flour
1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/8 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 tsp salt
25g castor sugar

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Kai Chai Paeng ~ Kampar Chicken Biscuit

Kampar is a small town in Malaysia. Among other things, it is famous for its kai chai paeng aka Kampar chicken biscuit (there's no chicken in it !). The biscuit is very crispy, savoury in flavour and has a very distinct fragrance.

When Rusti at kc mentioned she made some, I could hardly contain my excitement, it triggered in me a nostalgia for the biscuit and had to try out the recipe she posted. The aroma was very authentic - smelt exactly like the commercial ones. Every time I open the biscuit tin, the aroma transport me back to the Kampar shop where I use to buy them. If you like kai chai paeng, you have to try the recipe.

Makes : approx 36 biscuits (between 3" to 4" in diameter)

Ingredients
300g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ammonia powder
½ tsp salt
½ Tbsp garlic (minced very finely)
2 pieces nam yue (red fermented beancurd)
1 small egg (lightly beaten)
30g maltose

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Plain Soda Crackers

These crackers are delicious and crisp - goes well with dip or cheese on top. Makes about 100 crackers.


Ingredients
1½ cups bread or all-purpose flour, approximately
1 package dry yeast (I use 1 tsp yeast)
¼ teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup hot water
½ teaspoon malt syrup
2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons butter, melted

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Soda Cracker Basket

This soda cracker basket is made up of edible soda crackers (see recipe for plain soda crackers). The idea for the basket came from jerseymom, a member at kc. It takes a lot of patience to weave and handle prior to baking.

Redneck says……
Quite fiddly to make (job for the wife), but worth it for a special occasion. The basket will soften when left for some time so freshen in a hot oven prior to eating.