Happy Lunar New Year!!

May you be blessed with happiness, prosperity and good luck in the Year of the Ox!

年年有余!

Kueh Bangkit

Kueh Bangkit is one of my favourite Chinese New Year goodies. Kueh Bangkit that melt in the mouth are the best! Recently bought a new book by Y3K on Chinese New Year goodies, and had flagged out a few recipes that I would like to try for this Chinese New Year. One of the recipes is for Kueh Bangkit and one of the forum member, Peng, had tried out this recipe with good results. So decided try this recipe. The resulting cookie is the type that I like - slightly crispy on the outside but melts in the mouth.

Here's a step by step (well almost, heh) guide to making kueh bangkit.

1. Heat wok, the add sago flour with cut pandan leaves . The sago flour is slighty damp as seen from the photo below. Stir fry sago flour with pandan leaves. I stir fried 500 gm with about 10 pandan leaves.

2. Stir fry the flour until the flour density lightens. The flour will be very fluffy and may 'fly'. This may take about 20 mins or so. Note the difference between the flour density in the 2 pics.

3. Remove pandan leaves and allow the flour to cool before storing. Keep the flour for at least 2 days or longer. My mum-in-law explained that if the flour is used immediately, it will be too dry and may soak up excessive coconut milk.

4. Ingredients for Kueh Bangkit
- 100 g icing sugur
- 1 egg yolk (i use the yolk of a 62 gm egg)
- 100 concentrated coconut milk (Ayam brand, but i believe fresh coconut will taste better)
- 300 sago flour (sieved)

Mix egg, sugar and coconut milk until sugar dissolved. Strain mixture. Add the coconut mixture to the sago flour. Knead dough until everything comes together. It may seem that the liquid is not sufficient but continue kneading until the dough can stand on its own without toppling over and has a non-shiny look. Rest dough for 1 hour or longer. This allows the coconut milk flavour to develop. Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth . 5. Roll out the dough until about 1/2 cm thick and cut out cookies. If the dough sticks, stain the cookie cutter with some flour before cutting. Bake at 140C for 15 mins (note: my oven is hotter than usual, the recipe stated 160C for 20-25 min or until the cookie is baked through but not golden)

6. I 'inherited' my hubby's beloved grandma's kueh bangkit cutters. Things from the old days can really last. the cutters feel very solid and heavy, unlike our metal cutters nowadays. Cookies using her cutters:

7. I was also given a few traditional moulds from another relative so i tried to make a few trays of kueh bangkit using the moulds. It is more tedious than using a cutter, but it was quite fun and the cookies look nicer.
8. How to use such moulds? Just dust the moulds with fried flour, pinch a bit of dough and squish the dough into the mould. Cut the excess away with a knife. Tap on the table to release the dough. Feels a bit like playing with playdough. :) 8. End result to welcome the Year of the Ox!