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Sunday, February 7, 2010

Citrusy Almond Cookies - Chinese New Year Treat

Lemon Cookies 3  
Lemon Cookies
 
Mandarin Orange
 
CNY Collage 2
 
It is exactly a week away from Chinese New Year. The air is bustling with anticipation.The market place, is packed with housewives trying to stock up meat, seafood etc. As I walked past the fishmonger stall, eyeing at the offer of fresh shrimps, scallops and shark's fins, I thought of my mother. I imagine that she would probably have already bought kilos of shrimps last week, wrapped them up in newspaper before chucking them in the freezer. Every year, we would argue with her, reasoning hopelessly that there is really no need to jam pack the fridge with food for :
 
1. Markets are so commercialised now,they will resume business on the 2nd or 3rd day after Chinese New Year. In any case, the main supermarkets are all staying opened. In the past, shops and stalls would really stay closed for almost a week.
 
2. As life becomes affluent, Chinese New Year is no longer the rare occassion where we feast. If anything else, we are overfed already,  the focus should be placed on quality not quantity.
 
3. We are very certain than half of those food frozen in the freezer will be forgotten and end up in the rubbish chute.
 
Sigh. I think most of us would have the same issues with our mothers but at times, as I look at my own fridge and freezer, I fear, real heart-gripping fear, that I may be just as guilty of the faults I have been picking in my own mother.
 
As a result of which, instead of going out to buy more ingredients for e.g. that particular interesting pineapple tart recipe or that peanut cookie, I have decided to make do with what I already have in my fridge. Ramaging through my freezer, I have uncovered some 6 blocks of  French butter, 3 tubs of fruit purees and a few small tubs of lemon peel. Hence, instead of the usual traditional CNY treats, I decided to make a Lemony  variation of the Almond cookie using an Almod Snow Ball cookie recipe from yet again Keiko Ishida's Okashi.
 
Made with the lemon peel and a pure lemon oil (also sitting in my fridge) the end result is a tangy and rather refreshing cookie - a rather nice balance, I feel to the butter rich cookie.
 
I have packed these into plastic containers and am glad that they look presentable enough to be given away as treats....
 
Recipe (adapted from Keiko Ishida's Okashi) :
 
Ingredients :
Pastry Flour           150g
Unsalted Butter      120g
Icing Sugar             50g
Salt                        a pinch
Vanilla Extract        1/2 tsp
Lemon oil              1/2 tsp
Ground almonds    40g
Corn flour             10g
Candied lemon peel  25g (minced)
 
Method :
1. Using a cake mixer fitted with paddle mixer, cream butter with icing sugar, salt, vanilla extract and lemon oil.
2. Add sifted flour,corn flour and ground almond to the creamed butter and blend well at slow speed.
3. Add candied lemon peel.
4. Chill batter in chiller for 20mins and preheat oven to 160C.
5. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out batter into balls.
6. Bake for 20mins at 160C. Remove from oven and cool down.
7. For those who enjoy a sweeter finish, these can be roll coated with powder sugar.

27 comments:

Zurin said...

Hi Shirley, they look really crunchy and I can almost smell the citrus flavour!!!

true I never stock up now.whatever for indeed!...the fridge is chockful of stuff already n I doubt any one in the house will pain from a little lack of food IF there is such a lack!

Ju (The Little Teochew) said...

I have the same ang pow too! :) You speak my mind. The way people are buying, it's like hoarding. And I don't understand why. I love these cookies. They don't spread out during baking, do they? Cos from your photos, they look like nice round balls. Also, does Pastry Flour = Plain flour? I might give these a try.

Sook said...

Oh I love almond cookies and adding citrus would make them even better!

Alisa said...

your recipes are not only delicious but they are really lovely,I saw your site from the foodieblogroll and hope you could add this Foodista widget here so Foodista readers can find this delicious post.Thanks!

WendyinKK said...

I saw the ice cream scoop dents on the cookies..:)
Nice job on creating a cookie while cleaning up ur fridge :)

Angie's Recipes said...

Buttery almond cookies with a hint of citrus...how wonderful!

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Thank you ladies, for leaving me the lovely comments.

Ju,yes,I think alot of people will have the same Ang Pao in Singapore...:D,it's really very cute. You are right, the cookie keeps its shape pretty well, possibly because the butter content is not as high. The Pecan Cookies I made for Christmas tend to spread more.

La Table De Nana said...

The cookies look delish but it's that adorable face I keep looking at..the colors are beautiful..Is that face on a napkin?

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Hi Monique,it is actually a little red packet. During Chinese New Year, money is placed inside and given out by senior and married people.

Allie said...

Shirley,

These look yummy! I really enjoy reading about your bakes with Keiko's book! I have the same book but I've only tried a handful of recipes since.

chocolatecup said...

this is such a cute variation of the almond cookies!!! definitely yummmy in my tummy if it were in my tummy! haha. where do you get your lemon oil if you dont mind me asking?:)

Irene's Footprints said...

veri nicely done..

You used pastry flour which is plain or top flour?

: )

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Irene, pastry flour used to be associated with Silk flour.But here, in Singapore,Prima's Top four would be the equivalent. Keiko is partial towards Top flour but I think for this cookie recipe, All-purpose flour would do just as well.

Anonymous said...

Ah ha! So now I know where all the world's supply of french butter and fruit puree has gone! :) Kidding! But really, your cookies look delicious. I am glad that you decided to rummage around your freezer to find such wonderful ingredients to make an equally wonderful cookie!

Anonymous said...

Ahh a very nice idea using what you have already. Yes I feel like almost every day is like CNY sometimes! They look lovely :D

Zurin said...

Shirley, i got the mould from... OMG!!! the name just slipped from my useless mind!!!! thinky think.......

AHHHH ..yes...Chang Tung..its a bakery supply store in SS23 PJ...Ill get one for you n keep it for whenever u come down..just let me know when youre around. I hope its not tomorrow though!

i know ur in Manila now! see thats what blogs do...make a busy body of me...heheh I saw ur comment on Ju's blog.

pigpigscorner said...

I like the addition of lemon peel!

Zurin said...

Ohyes I forgot to answer ur question on the size of the cookies...its bigger than regular cookies...about 2 inches long from snout to tail..

Duchess of Tea said...

Darling these look delicious. I wish I could reach into my screen and take one to have with my tea.
Have I told you lately how much I love your blog and your scrumptious cooking?

Love & Hugs
Duchess

Irene's Footprints said...

Just curious..did you make your own candid lemon peel?

: )

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Hi Irene, no lah- I am not so hardworking. I just buy ready made ones.

Irene's Footprints said...

hiyah..I thot you made the lemon peels yourself since you like to experiment mah :P

btw...you got it from??

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Very interesting CNY cookies recipe. Haven't tried any citrusy cookies.

Anonymous said...

I;m always up for a new CNY festive goodie. It's probably how many of the ones we call traditional, came about! :) Plus, who's to know when they look THAT yummy!

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Irene, there are many options. Cold Storage, Phoon Huat all carry it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Shirley,

I have Keiko's book-Okashi too but my mind draws a blank when she asks for pastry flour. Where can we get it in SG? Thanks.

=) christine

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Christine, Keiko's pastry flour equivalent to our local Top flour. You can find this at most supermarkets. Try Prima.

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