Cornflake Cookie

I bought a big packet of cornflakes for CNY baking this year. Honey Joys was not very well received, so I decided to bake Cornflake Cookies with the leftover cornflakes. And indeed, it was a very good choice.

Recipe (adapted from Sugar & Everything Nice)

85g sugar
113g unsalted butter
141g self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (i omit)
2 cups lightly crushed cornflakes (i used around 5 cups for 2x recipe)

Method
1. Beat sugar and butter till light in color
2. Add in egg
3. Add in flour in one go, mix till dough
4. Shape into small balls and coat with crushed cornflakes

Bake 170 degree C, 15 – 18min (i did mine till golden brown)

I had trays and trays of very crunchy cookie which I can’t stop eating. Luckily there’s only a few leftover after packing most of them into containers to ‘rest’ till CNY.

Now I wonder why do I not bake this during non-CNY period. It’s so irresistible.

Crispy Coconut Cookie 椰丝脆饼

Generally I love most of the bakes with coconut. Though dessicated, the fragrance of coconut is always there. Even so after baking. Chance upon this recipe from the Nasi Lemak Lover’s CNY event post, and decided to give it a try. And happen to receive a new cookie cutter from a friend.

I did two servings of recipe at a go and it was a pleasure baking this. Not only is the cutter an eye candy, the dough is easy to handle.

Recipe (adapted from Butter, Flour & Me)

125g butter (i used unsalted, so added in 1/4 tsp salt)
100g icing sugar
1 egg
220g self raising flour (i use 220g plain flour + 1.5 tsp baking powder)
75g dessicated coconut

Method
1. Cream butter and sugar till pale
2. Add in egg slowly, mix well
3. Add in flour + dessicated coconut, till dough and mix well

Bake 170 degree C, 15 – 18min or golden brown (i baked 20min)

Simple right?

And it’s really crispy. I’m not sure I love the cookie cutter more or the cookie more because I had always wanted this cutter and it was brought all the way from China. And I love how I can bite the cookie according to the ‘portion’. So it was both fun for me to bake and fun for me to snack on thereafter.

CNY or not, this is a classic cookie to have.

Almond Cookie

CNY is definitely around the corner when I bake this almond cookie.  Ever since the first time we tried this recipe, every year, trays and trays of almond cookies will be going in and coming out from the oven. There’s even a year that I bake nothing but only this.

Recipe (given by mum’s friend)

160g ground almond powder
600g plain flour (sieve)
200g icing sugar (sieve)
380g vegetable oil (i use slightly less than this)

1 egg for egg wash

Method

1. Mix everything together to form dough (yes, it’s that easy!!)
2. Preheat oven 180degree C, 15 to 20min
3. Egg wash the almond balls before baking

Note: i normally add half of the oil and stir before using the mixer and add the remaining oil slowly. once the dough is form, i stop adding.

The only tedious part about this is forming each individual balls by hand. But this is really a pleasure to have. You can’t stop pop-ing them into your mouth. The texture is in between melt-in-you-mouth and crunchy. And that fragrance of almond. Nice! Mr Boyfriend’s favorite, so this is definitely worth trying.

Beside Pineapple Tart, this is another must-have for my CNY.

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover.

Pineapple Tart I

Tags

homemade pineapple tarts

Last year Mr Boyfriend and me made a promise to make a new type of CNY snacks every year. Last year we did egg roll the traditional way. Super hard work!

This year, I decided to try my hands on pineapple tarts! They are such a must have for CNY and at the same time, a bit costly. I remember my parents used to order tons and tons of this from Smiling Orchid. Then eventually it became homemade pineapple tarts from colleagues. This year, 2013, I told my mum I will help her save money and make my own pineapple tarts!

If I can do this, everyone can! All you need is patient. Because it’s quite a labour intensive bake.

Recipe (adapted from Fresh from Oven)
est 70 to 75pcs

for the pastry:
220g unsalted butter, at room temperature (get the best butter you can, i used Lurpak)
375g all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (i omit as i used salted butter)
2 egg yolks (beaten)
50g confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg yolk, for egg wash

Method

1. Sieve flour, icing sugar (if using) and cornstarch together
2. Cream butter till light
3. Add in egg yolks slowly
4. Add in flour and sugar and mix till dough is form
5. Chill in the fridge for 30mins
6. Wrap est 10 to 12g of pastry around 6g of pineapple jam. Egg wash

Bake in preheat oven 180degree C, 15mins. Egg wash a second time, bake another 5mins

I bought pineapple jam from baking shop for this as I’m not up for making the pineapple jam from scratch.

And I’m in love! With the tart and also Lurpak. I sure it’s Lurpak that gives the pastry dough that buttery taste and softness of the dough. And while baking, you can smell the butter fragrance lingering around. Even so after removing them from the oven.

How the recipe fare? Well, I like the softness of the dough. And it’s also easy to handle while molding. The most tedious part I guess is molding the pineapple jam. Once that part is over, the process is pretty smooth. Will definitely bake more of this for CNY.

The next time you enjoy a piece of handmade pineapple tart, do enjoy it slowly and appreciate the hard work that goes to each individual piece.