This year's CNY baking was a very last minute one as I lost the mood and motivation to bake. I only start to read up for recipes and ideas for what I want to try this year the day before I start baking! Plan was to bake 3 types of cookies, 2 of which are new tries. I don't need to bake a lot. Just dedicate 1 day of mass baking! Wash also once! Lazy! Haha!
The ugly side of baking. Mess in the kitchen plus dining area. Small production only. My 3 types of cookie doughs.
Started with the hottest cookies this year. The Salted Egg Yolk Cookies!
Salted egg yolk in the cookies
Flowery designs for the salted egg yolk cookies. Because no black sesame seeds at home.
Oops after baking, shape not so nice liao. So this is the famous salted egg yolk cookies. The smell from the oven during baking is heavenly! Hope it tastes good!
Second cookies is what I have been baking every year since 2011!
Remember my
Sheep design melt-in-mouth German cookies last year? So cute right?
Want to make monkey design for the Monkey Year. And they end up looking like this! (Idea from
here). Look like or not? It's very difficult to shape as the dough is very soft.
Before it goes into the oven!
Monkey cookies done! Have to hide them away, if not sure finish up before cny!
Too tedious to make so many 'monkeys'. Do the usual shape with the remaining dough!
Last one is a type of refrigerator (icebox) cookies which I have never tried before. Mainly because it needs to chill and shape repeatedly.
Too bad I failed so badly that I feel embarrassed to show. But must keep record still. It's supposed to look like monkey, only the top left one look slightly better. The rest er... all out of shape due to me very inexperienced in baking cookies (like only once a year haha). So disappointed as it takes up the most time. It's ok. I tried! And I think I know where I went wrong. I should keep the cookies in the freezer because the cookies were not hard enough. So went out of shape when I cut.
Salted Egg Yolk Cookies 咸蛋黄酥饼
Ingredients
85g butter, softened at room temperature
40g caster sugar
125g all purpose flour
10g corn flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
2 cooked salted egg yolks, mashed
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten to glaze
black sesame seeds to sprinkle
Method
1. Using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.
2. Sift flour, corn flour, baking powder into the butter mixture and use a spatula to mix until the flour mixture is totally absorbed into the butter mixture.
3. Then stir in the mashed salted egg yolks and gather the crumbs to form a soft pliable dough. Wrap dough in cling film and allow it to rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
4. Line baking trays with baking paper and preheat oven to 170 deg C.
5. Place dough on a lightly floured surface to roll into 3 mm thickness and cut them into shapes using your desired cookie cutter. Brush the cookies with egg yolk and sprinkle sesame seeds on them and bake for 15 mins or until golden brown.
Recipe from: Min's Blog
Monkey design Melt-in-mouth German Cookies 德式酥饼
Ingredients
125g butter, softened
40g icing sugar, sifted
125g potato starch, sifted
80g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp cocoa powder
Method
1. Beat butter and icing sugar till fluffy and lighter in colour.
2. Sift in potato starch and plain flour, mix to form a soft dough. Divide the dough into 2 portions (1 smaller and 1 larger portion). Add cocoa powder to the larger portion. Wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. Roll the body of the monkey 8g each using chocolate dough. Roll 2 smaller chocolate balls and place on the side of the head as ears. Roll and shape a small plain dough into banana shape, press flat and put on eye area. Roll and shape a larger plain dough into round shape, press flat and put on nose and mouth area. Use a skewer, make indentations for the eyes, nose and mouth.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 170 deg C for 15 mins, upper rack (need not bake till cookies turn brown).
I wish everyone a prosperous Monkey Year!
May all be safe and healthy!!
祝贺大家：新年快乐，猴年猴到不得了!!
