Happy Lunar New Year!

Hello there! I'll be away for some time but before that I'd like to use my very simple yet traditional new year cookies to wish all my supportive readers a very blessed Lunar New Year! Beside, I'm submitting this to ""j3ss kitch3n" who are hosting the Aspiring Bakers #3: My Favorite CNY Cookie (Jan 2011).

I know this peanut cookie might seems like nothing special to everyone but it's only what I can do for this coming Lunar New Year. I've tried out different version of peanut cookie recipes and this is the one that specially make for my mum as she particularly likes the bits of crunchiness yet the richness of peanut taste. As for me, I like all kind of peanut cookies as long as it had the finest peanut taste in it. I thought adding more grounded peanut for the cookies dough would increase the flavor but it doesn't work for my experiment last year. I found out the peanut should actually roasted to a slightly darker color in order to get a better taste. You might think the peanut may burnt but it's not actually. It helps to produce very  flavorful cookies yet the proportion used is only 400 gram of roasted peanut with 600 gram of plain flour instead of 1:1 proportion. Beside, I purposely ground the peanut quite coarsely to suit my mum taste bud, and she is happy with that! 

Lastly, I would like to bless everyone who are reading this have a wonderful yet healthy New Year! I will be here again to update my latest news after March 2011. BYE!!

Recipe:

400g peanut

600g plain flour

220g sugar powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

300ml peanut oil

1. Roast the peanut in the oven at 180C for about 15 - 20 minutes until dark brown color. Please watch it as every oven are vary.
2. When the roasted peanut still warm, try to skin off the peanut by using both hands to rub. Then use hair dryer to blow off the skin. 
3. Ground the peanut coarsely to remain some bits of nuts for the crunchy texture. 
4. In a mixing bowl, mix the grounded peanut, plain flour, sugar powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda until well combine.
5. Gradually add in the peanut oil and mix until well combine. You will get quite crumbly texture but will still able to roll into a ball with your hands by giving it a bit of squeeze.
6. I use 1 teaspoon measurement for each portions. Roll them up into balls then roast in a 175C preheated fan oven for about 13 minutes. Take them out and brush some egg yolks on top of each peanut cookies and continue to bake for another 10 - 12 minutes. 
7. Let it completely cool on a wire rack before fill them into a cookies container. Enjoy! Happy Lunar New Year!