INTRODUCTION

In the last Chinese New Year, I did not blog about peanut cookies.. one of my favourite Chinese New Year cookies… I think from now on, I should spread my cookies recipe over a period of a few months until Chinese New Year or Christmas such that reader have more choices to choose from.. (updated on 19-12-2014 – all updated recipes will be highlighted in red)

Frankly speaking, I do not have much to blog about this simple cookie as it is just another cookie commonly found in Singapore and Malaysia during major festivals..

The only point that I have to highlight is the quality of the peanuts. I am frank to tell all that this batch of peanut is not very aromatic… In the next batch, I will try to buy the Shandong peanut for this.. The peanut was quite tasteless and less aromatic..

Preparation is not very difficult but a challenge to me.. I found that the shaping need to be tight enough such that it binds the powdery peanut  together but it shouldn’t be overly tight such that it become hard to bite… As long as a shape can be formed, that should be adequate to ensure a melt in the mouth recipe…

Having said that, I have compared many recipes and it is my humble conclusion that those uses less peanuts but more flour and more oil tends to have a much better shape. It is also understandable that flours can bind better than peanut powder.  However, for health purposes, i would prefer those recipe that uses less oil and give a mouthful of peanut powder.

WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: About 50 cookies of 2 cm diameter

• 250 grams of roasted peanut (can roast raw peanut at 170 degree Celsius for 10 minutes or until aromatic)
• 250 grams of plain flour
• 150 grams of icing sugar
• 150 grams of peanut oil
• 1 egg
• Pinches of salt

STEPS OF PREPARATION

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

• In a food processor, blend the roasted peanuts until fine powder form. Add in icing sugar, plain flour and blend until well mix. Add in eggs and gradually add in the peanut oil. Blend until it form a pliable dough. If it is too dry, add additional peanut oil teaspoon by teaspoon. If too wet, add plain flour tablespoons by tablespoons.

• Take some dough (about 15 grams), shape it round, use hand lightly press the dough until it look like a dome, use a chopstick to make a cavity in the cookies.. Egg wash the cookies before baking in the pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius for about 15-20 minutes or until your desired colour tone. For egg washing, stir one egg yolk with one tablespoon of water until well mixed, sift before application.

Note:

• The colour of the cookies will very much depends on your roasted peanuts. If you preferred lighter colour, you should reduce roasting the peanuts in the oven to 8-10 minutes. 

• Handling shall be as light as possible such that air can be incorporated into the dough such that it will melt in the mouth.

RECIPE 2 – USING PEANUT BUTTER (Updated on 19-12-2014)

Today, I have decided to try out this recipe using peanut butter. I am pleased with the outcome. It melts in the mouth and taste is not compromised. In fact, it is much easier that the first recipe.

Processed with MOLDIV

WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: About 40-50 cookies

• 125 grams of top flour or cake flour 
• 75 grams of peanut butter
• 40 grams of icing sugar
• 30 grams of peanut oil
• 1 egg yolk for egg glazing

Processed with MOLDIV

Processed with MOLDIV

Processed with MOLDIV

STEPS OF PREPARATION

• Pre-heat the oven to 130 degree Celsius. 

• Put all the ingredients in the mixing bowl, use hand to knead until it form a pliable dough. If it is too dry, add some more peanut oil teaspoon by teaspoon. Pinch some dough, shape round and lightly flatten it. Brush the egg yolk on top of the cookies. Bake in the pre-heated oven of 130 degree Celsius for 20-25 minutes or until the desired colour tone. Let in rest in the baking tray for about 5 minutes before transferring to a rack for cooling.

CONCLUSION

This cookies is addictive and rest be assured, it is not very sweet….. The gist of the recipe is how you handle the dough.. If you want a melt in the mouth cookies.. light handling is required. If you do not want to take the trouble of roasting the peanut, you can always used ready made peanut powder sold in the supermarket.. Colour of the cookies will very much depend on the colour of your roasted peanuts. If you do not have an oven, roasting the peanut over the stove is acceptable.

This recipe was included in Page 22 and Page 23 of the following E-book. 

For more Chinese New Year related cookies, snack and steamed cake recipes, you can have a copy of “Easy Chinese New Year Recipes – A step by step guide” that was packed with 30 recipes, 60 pages at a reasonable convenience fee of USD3.50. The recipes covered various recipes from auspicious radish cake to nian gao to traditional kuih bangkit to trendy London almond cookies. Of course not forgetting both type of pineapple tarts. You can purchase by clicking the link above. You can either pay using Pay Pal or Credit card account. Please ensure that you have an PDF reader like Acrobat or iBooks in your mobile phone or iPad if you intended to read it in your ipad or mobile phone. Should there be any problems of purchasing, feel free to contact me at kengls@singnet.com.sg and separate arrangement can be made.