We are going to usher in the Year of the Rooster in a few weeks. For many, this is a time when their families would gather around to make delicious Chinese New Year snacks and traditional dishes, learn finer cooking skills, and also share recipes.
And what better way to mark the Chinese New Year festivities than with some easy snacks and cookie recipes? Highlight the spirit of the Year of the Rooster by trying them out with your children and family members to create some memorable experiences.
There are many Chinese New Year snacks and cookie recipe ideas to pick from. Giant Singapore is going to help you perk up this CNY with 12 amazing recipes that are easy to prepare and taste great.
Sesame Balls (Zeen Doy)
Servings: 48 |Calories: 298.6 calories per serving (1 ball)
Ingredients:
- 6 cups oil
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 3 cups glutinous rice flour
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (1/2 cup for the bean paste; the remainder for the dough)
- 6 oz. red beans
Instructions:
Start by making the bean paste. To do this, soak 6 oz. of red beans overnight. Cook them the next day until they are soft, and then place them in a food processor. Blend until smooth while adding sugar. When done, fry the paste in oil until dry.
Pour three inches of oil into a wok and heat it to 350 degrees. Next, pour the brown sugar into boiling water to dissolve it.
Pour the rice flour into a large bowl. Make a hole in the centre of the flour and add sugar and water. Stir it well.
Spread sesame seeds out on a clean counter or plate. Take a small ball of dough, roll it and make a small hole to insert the bean paste. Cover some of the bean paste with the dough while leaving a small amount shown. Dip each ball in water and then roll it in the sesame seeds. Fry the balls, let them cool down and enjoy eating them.
Preparation Time: 35 minutes plus prep time for the bean paste
Peanut Cookies
Servings: 180 to 200 |Calories: 200 calories per serving (four cookies)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups roasted and ground peanuts
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups butter (melt before using)
- 1 cup extra-fine sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions:
Grind the peanuts, and then mix them with flour, salt and sugar. Melt the butter and slowly pour it into the bowl, mixing the ingredients to create a smooth dough. Finally, take small portions of the dough, roll them into balls and place them on a tray to bake. Brush the top of the cookies with egg yolk before baking. Baking time is about 25 minutes.
Preparation time: 1 hour.
Nian Gao
Servings: 1 cake |Calories: 326.8 calories per serving (1/8 of cake)
Ingredients:
- Glutinous rice flour
- 2/3 cup Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp. milk
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1 tbsp. oil
Instructions:
Start by soaking the dates in hot water. Next, mix seven ounces of boiling water with the sugar. Add the glutinous rice flour to a large bowl. Make a hole in the middle and pour in the sugar and water mixture. Add the milk along with most of the dates. Finally, place the dough in a pan and put some dates on the top to decorate it. Sprinkle the white sesame seeds on top and steam the cake in a wok for 45 minutes.
Preparation Time: 35 minutes
Kueh Bahulu
Servings: 28 |Calories: 100 calories per serving (3 pieces)
Ingredients:
- 160 grams all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- Oil
- 150 grams caster sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
Instructions:
Crack the eggs and beat until frothy. Add the sugar and beat well; then add the vanilla and flour. Use the oil to grease the molds, and then pour the mixture in to bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Kueh Bangkit
Servings: 100 – 120 |Calories: 90 per serving (4 cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. (450g) tapioca flour
- 6 pandan leaves, rinsed and dried
- 2 egg yolks
- ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
- 1 can (14 oz./400ml) coconut milk
Instructions:
Cut six pandan leaves and place them in a tray with the tapioca flour. Bake for one hour, and then allow to cool down. Next, sift the tapioca flour into a bowl and set it aside.
Scoop out about 3/4 of a cup of coconut milk and set it aside as well. Next, cream the egg yolks and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add 1/3 of the tapioca flour and 1/3 of the coconut milk at a time and mix. When you are done, knead the dough until it is soft, and then put the dough gently into your wooden moulds. Trim the excess dough off with a knife and tap your mould after closing it to ensure the cookie does not stick to the mould. Bake the cookies for about 25 minutes or until the bottom is light brown.
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Pineapple Tart Cookies
Servings: 100 pieces |Calories: 140 per serving (4 tarts)
Ingredients:
- 350 grams butter
- 3 1/2 oz. (100 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 18 oz. (500 g) all-purpose flour
(For pineapple filling)
- 2 whole pineapples (8 lbs. / 3 1/2 kg)
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups (250 – 300 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
(For egg wash)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon condensed milk
- 1/2 teaspoon oil
Instructions:
Cut the top, skin and hard center from the pineapple and blend the rest into a puree, then cook the puree on medium heat. When it is dry, add sugar and lemon juice. Stir it on low heat until it turns gold and becomes sticky.
Next, cream butter and condensed milk. Add egg yolks one at a time and mix in the flour slowly to create the pastry dough. Finally, add all the egg wash ingredients into a bowl of their own and mix.
Divide the dough and filling into 100 portions and roll each portion into balls. Flatten each portion of dough and place a pineapple filling ball in the middle. Roll the dough around the ball and then place the finished balls into the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
Preparation Time: 2 hours
Love Letters
Servings: 33 |Calories: 210 calories per serving (four pieces)
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 100 g sugar
- 450 ml coconut milk
- 50 g Rice Flour
- 75 g all-purpose flour
Instructions:
Mix the eggs and flour. Next, add the coconut milk and both types of flour. Strain the batter and allow it to sit for an hour. Preheat the mold, add two tablespoons of batter into each mould and allow it to bake for about 35 minutes. Combine the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl, and mix well. Add the coconut milk, and stir in the flours. Strain the batter and let it rest for an hour.
Preheat the moulds again, and then scoop two tablespoons of batter into each mould. Allow to bake for about 35 minutes. As soon as the dough is baked, remove it from the batter, fold it in half and then half again, pressing down lightly as you fold. Allow the love letters to cool before serving.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Chinese Peanut Candy
Servings: 40 pieces |Calories: 119 calories per serving
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups (8 oz./225g) peanuts
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp five-spice powder
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- ¼ cup (35g) toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup (220g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp. vinegar
Instructions:
To make these Chinese New Year snacks for kids, roast the peanuts and then mix them with five-spice powder and salt. Set them aside.
Place half the sesame seeds, all the peanuts and all the red chili flakes at the bottom of a pan. Next, take a small pot and mix the sugar, vinegar and 1/3 cup of water. Mix over low heat for about three minutes, then bring it to a boil for about 16 minutes. When it is done, turn off the heat
Pour the mixture into the tray with the nuts, chili flakes and sesame seeds. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds on top and allow it to cool down for about five minutes before cutting your snack into squares or rectangles to serve.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Nestum Cereal Cookies
Servings: 40 to 50 |Calories: About 210 per serving (52 grams)
Ingredients:
- 100 grams butter
- 135 grams extra fine sugar
- 100 grams flour
- 50 grams cornstarch
- 50 grams of milk powder
- 1 egg
- 80 grams of Nestum cereal
Instructions:
This is one of those Chinese New Year cookie recipes that are relatively new but quickly becoming popular. To start, preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius and then cream butter and sugar. Next, add eggs and beat well.
Add sifted milk powder and cornstarch and beat on low speed until well mixed. Scoop a teaspoon of the dough at a time and roll it in a bowl of Nestum cereal. Place each rolled ball in a small paper cup and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Steamed Fruit Cake
Servings: 2 cakes |Calories: 139 calories per serving (a 1.5 oz. slice)
Ingredients:
- 500 g butter
- 600 g all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 cup sugar (plus 3/4 cup of sugar for the caramel)
- 5 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 600 g fruit mix
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions:
Start by boiling water in the steamer and greasing 2 deep pans. Next, mix two tablespoons of flour with the fruit mix, and then sift the rest of the flour and the baking soda into a separate bowl. Beat in the butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time and stir well. Finally, add in vanilla and the fruit and flour mix.
Now it is time to make the caramel. Melt 3/4 cups of sugar, remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of water. Pour this caramel into the flour mix and stir well. Put the batter into the two pans and cover them with aluminum foil. You will also need to either tape or tie down the edges so that the water does not get in. Steam the cake for four hours and let it cool before serving.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Prosperity Cakes
Servings: 6 muffin size cakes |Calories: 113 per serving (1 muffin)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white rice flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions:
These simple yet timeless Chinese New Year treats are very easy to make. To start, mix 3/4 cup of water with the brown sugar to dissolve, and then allow the mixture to cool at room temperature. Pour the flour into another bowl and slowly add the sugar mixture to the flour. Next, mix the baking powder with a teaspoon of water in a separate bowl and then add it to the main bowl. Pour batter into muffin paper and steam for 15 minutes.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Kampar Kai Chai Paeng
Servings: about 40 biscuits |Calories: 515 per serving (about 100 grams)
Ingredients:
- 300g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp ammonia powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp. pounded garlic
- 1 piece of red fermented bean curd
- 1 small egg
- 30g maltose
- 60g sesame seeds
- 100g finely chopped melon strips
- A dash of pepper
- 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 30g oil
Instructions:
Begin by preheating the oven to 160 degrees C and lining baking trays with wax paper. Next, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and make small balls from the ingredients. The balls should be placed between two sheets of wax paper and then rolled flat. When finished, place the biscuits on a tray and bake for about 20 minutes.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
There you have it! Have fun baking one or more of these Chinese New Year snacks and cookie recipes and enjoy eating these amazing goodies together with family and friends. If you are looking for healthy Chinese New Year snacks recipes or traditional Chinese New Year recipes for Reunion dinner, we have you covered.