INTRODUCTION
Trust me, all traditional recipes are straightforward and easy. This recipe is no exception. However, I do not think that I will prepare this in the near future as it is very laborious. It took me about 1 hour to wrap about 40 small pieces….It is not the recipe fault but my own productivity.. I do not have the patience to wrap the small puff… While I was wrapping, I keep thinking of cooking lunches and etc.…Well all that is very much depends on individual character. I believed ladies readers will definitely have much more patience and skills to wrap better than me..
This is a very common traditional Chinese New Year cookies well liked by the Cantonese. While I am not a Cantonese, but this Chinese New Year goodies always appeared as one of the Chinese New Year Cookies menu. Even until today, it is commonly still commonly sold in the cookies market..
In Malaysia and Singapore, it is commonly called at kok cai (角仔)but the formal name should be yao Kok (油角)that can be roughly translated as “deep fried dumplings”. The cookie has a dumpling shape and in local terms, this snack signify prosperity and the size of your wallet (荷包)。 It is considered as auspicious to have some wallet shape cookies that will bring abundant wealth in the coming year.
“油角,又稱「角仔」,是中國南方賀年食品之一,也流傳到琉球,稱為鬥雞餃(琉球語:闘鶏餃、タウチーチャウ)。材料主要是面粉、花生、芝麻、砂糖等。製作方法是先用面粉加鸡蛋、猪油还有适量的水搓成粉皮,切出成直徑約兩吋的圓形小塊,然後在中間放入炒過的花生、芝麻及砂糖,對摺後在邊緣摺出花邊。最後將油角放在熱油中炸成金黃色而成。油角的“角”可能是“餃”的意思。在某些廣東方言中“角”及“餃”的發音接近,而油角的形狀及製法亦的確與餃子類似。(餃子之原名便系角子) 油角同樣是中國河南省的賀年食品,然而其餡料以及味道皆偏鹹,另外油角在當地又可以被稱為油炸餃子。” (Source: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B2%B9%E8%A7%92)
The authentic Hong Kong style fillings is slightly different from the local filling. Hong Kong fillings call for the addition of shredded coconut but coconut was not added in Singapore and Malaysia. In fact, some that was sold locally does add five spice powder to the filling.
WHAT IS REQUIRED
Servings: About 40 peanut puffs of 5 cm long
- 60 grams of peanuts
- 25 grams of sugar
- 20 grams of white sesame seeds
- 20 grams of shredded or desiccated coconut (optional)
- 150 grams of plain flour or self raising flour
- 1 egg
- 80 grams of butter
- 10 grams of water
- Pinches of salt
STEPS OF PREPARATION
- Dry fry the sesame seeds until aromatic and light brownish using low heat. Constant stirring is required and it took about 5 minutes. Be careful as sesame seeds can be burnt very easily.
- Bake the peanuts in the oven at 150 degree Celsius for 20-25 minutes. Give it a quick stir for every 5 minutes to ensure even roasting. If you do not have an oven, you can dry fry over the stoves until light brown and aromatic. You must ensure the peanut is aromatic to your liking before proceeding to the next step.
- Take off all the peanut membrane and put it in a food processor, Add the sesame seeds and sugar and blend until your desired coarseness. If you do not have a food processor, you can use a pestle and mortar to pound the peanut or put the peanuts in a zip lock bag , use the rolling pin to break the peanuts.
- Put the butter and flour in a food processor, blend until it is crumble like. Add the eggs and water and continue to blend until it forms a pliable dough. If it is too wet, add a tablespoon of flour. Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes before the next step. If you do not have a food processor, you can use pastry rubbing method to mix the dough.
- Take some dough, roll it flat with about 3 mm thickness, use a 5 cm round cutter to cut the dough.
- Take a piece of the dough, put a teaspoon of peanut filling on the centre, fold over into half, seal the edges of both sides and ensure it is tightly sealed. Start clipping the sides into your desired pattern. Perform the same for the remaining.
- Heat up a pot of cold oil using medium to low heat until it is slightly hot (about 80 degree Celsius). Off the heat, drop all the puff carefully. On the heat again and deep fry the puffs under medium to low heat until golden brown. Drain and once cooled completely, store in an air tight container immediately.
CONCLUSION
I have done it and now it is the reader’s turn to do it. While I do not have the patience to do it, I do have confidence that readers are able to do better than me. How about a meet up with your friends to share out this laborious cookies. Lastly, I believed that for this recipe, you can use air fryer since it is a dry item. However, I am unable to advise you the temperature and timing. Remember that the puffs need to be properly sealed and do not be greedy to have too much fillings as it can break easily.
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