Monday, January 6, 2014

Bake-Along #57 : Theme - Chinese New Year Cookies

Chinese New Year is just three weeks away and I'm sure those who are celebrating CNY are pretty busy right now, with shopping and loads of things to do for the coming festive celebration. And of course, one of the things that we simply can't do without, are cookies!  Jars of cookies are already being sold at the morning market near my house as early as beginning of December! If you do not have the time to make any cookies, head on to any local morning market, you will be spoilt for choice, with the many varieties of cookies that are being sold. Or if you'd rather make your own, that's even better, nothing beats homemade!

Bake-Along's theme for this week is "Chinese New Year Cookies", together with my baking buddies, Lena and Zoe, we thought it would be great to see the cookies that everyone is making for this festive CNY. Everyone is invited to join our Bake-Along #57 blog hop, bake any cookies and link your post to our linky below, only new and current posts please. 

I'm sharing today a cookie which my beloved late mother used to make when we were young. These cookies are one of our favourites, and now, my kids, nieces and nephews love these cookies as well.

We called these Cherry Cookies, and being a Nyonya, we would fondly call these cookies as "Biskut Ceri". It is also called by another name, which is more commonly known as, Biscuit Samprit. I've baked them today, and these are really fresh from the oven! So good! Got to stop my kids (and myself!) from having more than one each, cos it's dinner time soon!

Back in the old days, most of the bakes are made using margarine, butter is not easily available back then. My sister still prefers using margarine over butter for these cookies, but for today, I have used butter since I did not have any margarine at hand. Either butter or margarine, these cookies are simply delightful!


Cherry Cookies, ready, and about to go into the oven.

The dough is mixed and piped out using a piping nozzle (pic below) to a shape of a flower. Cut up some glazed cherries to small pieces, and lightly press a small piece (cut side facing down) onto the middle of the piped dough, so that it resembles a pretty flower.


 The piping nozzle. 


 Freshly baked Cherries Cookies, cooling on a rack.


 These cookies are crunchy soft, yum! My family are not overly fond of cookies, their preference has always been chocolate chip cookies, but these Cherry Cookies is one of the exception. They love these!


Cherry Cookies
120gm butter (or margarine)
75gm icing sugar
170gm plain flour
20gm custard flour
60gm cornflour
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp rose essence (or vanilla extract)
few drops yellow food colouring (optional)

Cream butter and icing sugar until light and creamy. Add in egg yolk, yellow food colouring (if using), rose essence (or vanilla), and mix till evenly combined. Add in the flours and knead to a soft dough. Do not over-knead.
Using the piping nozzle, pipe out the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cut up some glazed cherries to small pieces. Place a small piece of the cut cherries in the center of the piped out cookie, pressing it lightly.
Bake in a preheated oven at 150C for about 20 minutes, rotating the pans at half-time. Cool in pan for 2-3 minutes, remove cookies and cool completely on wire rack.
Store in airtight container.


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To join our blog hop, bake any Chinese New Year Cookies and link your post to our Bake-Along linky. The link will stay open for three weeks, from 6th January until 27th January.
Please visit my baking buddies, Lena from Frozen Wings and Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

Bake-Along shall take a break in February and we shall meet again in March for our Bake-Along #58 , with our bake, Cream Cheese Brownies from How To Be A Domestic Goddess, pg 194 by Nigella Lawson or you may get the recipe here. The linky will start from 6th to 15th March.


Photobucket


A friendly reminder when linking to our blog hop :
1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (JoyceLena or Zoe)
2. Please link only new and current post, related to the current bake or theme provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.
3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.


To join our blog hop, click on the link to get the codes :
get the InLinkz code

26 comments:

  1. I call these the 喜洋洋cookies .... So pretty like flowers

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  2. hi joyce, i just saw jeannie making these samperit cookies too..i am not aware of these cookies and wonder how it taste like..hope to try these cookies one day...and while eating these can sing, 'cheri cheri lady..' D

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  3. I used to make this cookies too when I was young. Simply love the yellow colour and shape.

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  4. Hi Joyce, I love these cookies! Was just looking for a recipe today - need to go get cherries first before I can attempt.

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  5. These cookies do looks lovely as well as nice to eat.

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  6. Hi Joyce, I like these cherry cookies and last year I made a lot these cookies too.
    Can't wait to join Bake along "Chinese new year cookies" event but my ingredients are not ready yet....hahaha....

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  7. These cookie are so pretty and nice to eat too!

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  8. Hi Joyce, looks like we are on the same wave line lol! I posted these cookies too although I am not the baker this time. Yours retain their shapes too! Really lovely!

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  9. Lovely and colorful looking Chinese cookies for the upcoming Chinese New Year.
    Deepa

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  10. These are so pretty and retro looking.

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  11. Beautiful cookies that bring fond memories while baking.
    Happy Chinese New Year. Blessings Catherine xo

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  12. Hi Joyce!

    First I have to say, that piping gun is just so darn cute! We use to have what they called a cookie press and one of my favorite discs to use was the flower one. I may have even made cookies like these when I was a young girl:)

    I can see why the kids would enjoy them. They are festive and pretty and I bet they taste oh so yummy!!! I think it's great that Chinese New Year Cookies are the Bake -A-Long theme for this month. Thank you so much for sharing, Joyce...

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  13. These cookies look buttery and great!

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  14. Hi Joyce, yes I remember of having these cookies when I was young but couldn't remember the name. I like them.

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  15. Hi Joyce,

    Oh! So, this plastic mould is for baking Biscuit Samprit... I always thought that they are used to bake butter cookies :p Please don't laugh at me being so mountain tortoise!!! Love to try this and see the difference between butter cookies.

    Strangely, why is your linky different from mine and Lena's???

    Zoe

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  16. Your cherry cookies are so pretty. I love these cookies, so melt in the mouth.

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  17. What beautiful flower shaped cookies!

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  18. Very pretty cherry cookies. Long, long time ago .... I used to make this too.

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  19. the cookies are so pretty, one of my favourite CNY cookies :D

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  20. Joyce, I used to pick out these cookies when I was a kid as they are so pretty. I was very fascinated by the cherries and somehow they made the cookies taste better :)

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  21. Hi Joyce,
    The cookies remind me of 春天的到来。

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  22. Hi Joyce, Your cherry cookies look so cantik & yummy ! O;kay let me check what's in my pantry & join the fun baking some sedaplicious CNY cookies ! Wait for me ! LOL

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  23. Hi Joyce, does this consider a CNY cookie ? ^0^ http://pengskitchen.blogspot.sg/2014/01/crispy-crabstick.html

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  24. Hi Joyce,
    Everyone here is so inspiring. Will definitely refer to this page for next year!

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