Kuih Bangkit ~ CNY 2010

I recently made this Chinese New Year cookie, 'Kuih Bangkit' for my daughter to  bring back to Melbourne.
As Chinese New Year is barely a month away, thought it best to post it now, perhaps you may like to try it out.  These cookies are not too sweet,  with a tinge of pandan fragrance coupled with a sweet taste of coconut ...... yummy.  They do keep well if they're thoroughly baked and they melt in the mouth!

I used these wooden moulds to make the 'Kuih Bangkit', handed to me by my mum  ....... skilfully and beautifully hand crafted!

The tapioca flour is fried in a wok, on low heat, with fresh pandan leaves, cut into 3 inch lengths, stirring all the time till the tapioca flour is light ..... takes about 45 mins. or more.   Then discard the pandan leaves, sift the flour onto a pan and let cool for  about 3 or 4 days till it is absolutely cooled.

The creamed mixture of icing sugar, shortening and egg yolks is mixed with the sifted flour to form a dough.
The cookies are knocked out from the dusted wooden moulds, placed on a baking sheet ready for baking.

Baked 'Kuih Bangkit'  fresh from the oven..... the whole kitchen is filled with sweet aroma of coconut and pandan ..... have used some red food colouring to dot the eys of the rabbit, bird and chicken!  Kids will definitely love it!

I prefer to bake them to a slight tinge of brown ..... so that they can keep longer.

Aren't they pretty ....... Why not try this for Chinese New Year!

Recipe for 'Kuih Bangkit'

Ingredients

• 450 gm tapioca flour
• 6 pandan leaves, cut into about 3 inch lengths
• 60 gm shortening
• 130 gm icing sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 150 - 200 ml thick coconut milk (Do not add water to squeeze out the coconut milk)
• A pinch of salt

Method

1. In a wok, on low heat, fry the tapioca flour with the pandan leaves till the flour is light and the pandan leaves crispy.  Discard the leaves and sift the flour onto a pan to let cool for a few days.  The flour must be cooled thoroughly.
2. Cream the shortening with the icing sugar and egg yolks till light and creamy and the sugar is totally dissolved.
3. Add in about 100 ml coconut milk initially, cream thoroughly.
4. Sift the tapioca flour onto a mixing bowl, add in a pinch of salt, then the creamed mixture and slowly knead till the dough does not stick to the hands, adding in coconut milk little by little when necessary.  Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 30 mins.
5. Dust the wooden moulds with some tapioca flour, pinch off some dough and put it into the moulds, cut off any excess.  Knock out and place the cookies onto a baking sheet.  You can place them near to each other because they hardly expand.
6. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg. C for about 20 to 25 mins.  
7. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing them in a cookie jar.

Note:
1.  If the dough is too dry to handle, add in a little bit of coconut milk to make it pliable.
2.  You'll need to fry excess tapioca flour as you require some to dust the wooden moulds.
3.  If you don't have the wooden moulds, you can roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters.