recipe | peanut cookies: happy Chinese new year!

Chinese New Years are definitely not what they used to be. Sometimes, I really wished that I could get it all back; the anticipation, the excitement, the noise, the sounds, the smell – but I can’t. I don’t even think it really has anything to do with being in a western country. I think for me (for us, for my extended family) the magic of Chinese New Year ended when my grandfather passed away.

These days, it’s all I can do to drag myself out of bed and bake some peanut cookies. Well, at least I still do that, I suppose.

Although, what I wish I really could do is roast a giant suckling pig. Maybe next year

Panu and I always talk about spending Chinese New Year in an Asian country – maybe Hong Kong or KL or Singapore – not so much to re-capture what I remember, but to experience the excitement, festivities and most importantly, the food. I’m looking forward to that, whenever it may be.

For now, we celebrated Chinese New Year eve with an impromptu and very quickly tossed together yee sang (made a big mess, which is still fun)…

… and these delicious peanut cookies.

Gong xi fa chai, everyone!

Chinese New Year peanut cookies
Adapted from Bread et Butter 2 cups peanuts 2 cups plain flour 1 cup icing sugar (or castor sugar) 1 cup (250g) butter, melted 1 egg, beaten
Pre-heat oven to 180°C/355°F. Spread the peanuts out on an oven-proof dish. Bake dry in oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and using either a food processor or pestle and mortar, grind the peanuts to a fine powder. (I used a pestle and mortar and well, my peanuts were not really what you’d call a “fine powder” but it worked.) In a large bowl, combine the peanuts, flour and sugar and mix well. Slowly add the butter and mix with a wooden spoon (or hands – I used my hands) until a dough is created. Roll the dough into tiny balls about 1.5cm round and lay on a baking paper lined tray. Indent the top of the balls with the back of a chopstick. Glaze with the beaten egg. Bake in oven for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before storing in an airtight container.
Makes about 90 cookies.

Chinese New Year peanut cookies

Adapted from Bread et Butter

2 cups peanuts
2 cups plain flour
1 cup icing sugar (or castor sugar)
1 cup (250g) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

Pre-heat oven to 180°C/355°F.
Spread the peanuts out on an oven-proof dish. Bake dry in oven for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and using either a food processor or pestle and mortar, grind the peanuts to a fine powder. (I used a pestle and mortar and well, my peanuts were not really what you’d call a “fine powder” but it worked.)
In a large bowl, combine the peanuts, flour and sugar and mix well.
Slowly add the butter and mix with a wooden spoon (or hands – I used my hands) until a dough is created.
Roll the dough into tiny balls about 1.5cm round and lay on a baking paper lined tray.
Indent the top of the balls with the back of a chopstick. Glaze with the beaten egg.
Bake in oven for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 90 cookies.

recipe | peanut cookies: happy Chinese new year!

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