Peanut Cookies

Ingredients:

300g ground, roasted peanuts

300g plain flour

250g icing sugar

250-300ml peanut oil

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg,  lightly beaten

Halved peanuts for decoration

Method:

1.  Sift plain flour with  1/4 tsp salt.

2.  In a mixing bowl, mix flour with icing sugar and ground peanuts.   Add in peanut oil bit by bit and work till dough can be rolled into a ball without cracking.  Shape into marble-sized balls.

3.  Place cookies on a greased and floured baking sheet.  Glaze with beaten egg and decorate with half a peanut in the centre.

4.  Bake in a preheated oven at 170 deg C till golden brown.  Remove tray from oven and leave to cool slightly before removing cookies from baking sheet.

Kueh Koya (Green Bean Cookies)

Ingredients:

500g green beans flour

200g icing sugar

3 screwpine leaves

water (about 1/2 cup)

Method:

1.  In a dry wok, stir-fry the green beans flour and pandan leaves on  low heat till fragrant.

2.  Sift the flour and remove the pandan leaves.  Leave to cool.

3.  Mix flour and icing sugar in a big mixing bowl.  Sprinkle with water, a little at a time and carefully mix with the flour mixture.  (Do not add too much water or the mixture will be very sticky).  Mixture should resemble fine breadcrumbs and should be able to hold its shape when pressed into a lump.

4.  Fill a wooden kueh koya mould with a handful of crumbly bean mixture.  Press mixture into moulds till firm and compact or the imprint will not be nice.  Level and scrape off excess mixture with a scraper.

5.  Dislodge biscuits by tapping the mould gently.  Arrange on an ungreased tray and dry in the sun for a few days until firm and dry.  Alternatively, bake in an oven at 120 deg C till dry.

Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

225 g butter

225 g caster sugar

450g self raising flour

120 g dessicated coconut

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 eggs

cut red cherries, for decoration

Method:

1.  Sift the self raising flour.

2.  Cream butter with sugar till light.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, stirring in one direction.

3.  Fold in the sifted flour and dessicated coconut.  Add in the vanilla essence and mix well.

4.  Spoon batter in small heaps onto greased trays and and top each with a small piece of cut cherry.  Bake cookies in a preheated oven at 150 deg C for about 20 minutes or till light brown in colour.

5.  Cool cookies on a cake rack before storing in an airtight container.

Sands Cookies

Ingredients:

225g butter

180g castor sugar

340g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1.  Put butter in a saucepan and place over low heat until butter browns.  Pour into a large bowl and cool until beginning to set.  Stir in sugar and vanilla essence and beat well.

2.  Sift flour with bicarbonate of soda and slowly add to the butter mixture, mixing until a smooth dough is formed.

3.  Chill dough in fridge for 1 hour.  Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough between palms of hands to shape into balls of about 2 cm in diameter.

4.  Place on a lightly greased baking tray and bake in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes.  Cookies should be firm and light golden brown.  Do not overbake cookies or they become very hard.

Suji Cookies

Ingredients:

400g ghee (clarified butter)

350g icing sugar

700g plain flour

100g full cream milk powder

Method:

1.  Sieve flour with milk powder.

2.  Cream ghee with icing sugar till light and fluffy.

3.  Fold in the flour gradually till a soft dough is formed.  Leave dough aside for 30 minutes.

4.  Roll out dough and cut out desired shapes and arrange on greased baking trays.

5.  Bake in a preheated oven at 150 deg C for 25 minutes.

Chinese Walnut Cookies

Ingredients A:

150g shortening

50g butter

150g sugar

pinch of salt

5 egg yolks

Ingredients B:

300g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tbsp milk powder

50g walnut, chopped

200g walnut, crushed

Method:

1.  Sieve flour with cornflour, milk powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.

2.  Cream shortening with butter and sugar and salt till fluffy.  Add in eggs and cream till smooth.

3.  Fold in sifted flour (1) and mix well.  Add in chopped walnuts and knead into a dough.

4.  Divide dough into small portions .  Shape into a ball and make an indentation in the centre of each cookie.  Top with a piece of crushed walnut and brush with egg.

5.  Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for about 20 minutes.

Green Bean Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

90g butter

30g icing sugar

a pinch of salt

100g plain flour

10g cornflour

50g green bean flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

40 almonds, halved

1 egg yolk, for glazing

Method:

1.  Cream butter with icing sugar and salt until light and creamy.

2.   Fold in sifted flour and mix well into a dough.

3.  Roll dough out and cut out cookies with an oval flutted cookie cutter.  Brush with beaten egg and top with half an almond.

4.  Bake in preheated oven at 150 deg C for 15-20 minutes.

Lemon Cheese Cookies

Ingredients:

250g butter

135g icing sugar

1 egg yolk

285g plain flour

65g cornflour

60g ground pistachios

1 tbsp lemon juice

60g cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

1.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add in egg yolk and lemon juice and mix well.

2.  Fold in sifted flour and knead lightly into a dough.  Wrap with wrapping film and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3.  Roll the dough out to 2mm thickness and cut out designs with cookie cutters.  Sprinkle top of cookies with some grated cheese.

4.  Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg C for 10-15 minutes or until brown.

Ginger Crunchies

Ingredients: 

100g butter

75g soft brown sugar

1 tbsp honey

200g plain flour

1 egg

1 level tsp baking powder

1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda

4 level tsp ground ginger

1 level tsp ground cinnamon

small pieces of crystallized ginger

Method:

1.  Sift flour with baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices.

2.  Cream butter with sugar and honey until light and creamy.  Add in the egg and cream till well mixed.

3.  Fold in the sifted flour and knead into a dough.  (If dough is crumbly, mix in a little milk to bind).

4.  Roll dough into a long roll and cut into small even pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and flatten.  Top with a small piece of crystallized ginger each and arrange well apart, on greased baking trays.

5.  Bake in a preheated oven at 190 deg C for 15-20 minutes until cookies are evenly browned.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

150g butter

150g soft brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

200g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 level tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips or chocolate rice

Method:

1.  Sift flour with salt and bicarbonate of soda.

2.  Cream butter with sugar till light and fluffy.  Add in the egg and the vanilla essence.  Continue creaming till light.

3.  Fold in the sifted flour and choclate chips and mix well.

4.  Drop mixture in little mounds on greased baking trays.

5.  Bake in preheated oven at 190 deg C for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.