Kueh Bangkit (CNY Coconut Tapioca Cookies)

Many of us are no stranger to this quintessential Chinese New Year (CNY) snack. It goes by a few names -- coconut cookies, tapioca cookies, coconut tapioca cookies, but say "kueh bangkit" and everyone will know that we're referring to this white, crisp cookie that "melts in your mouth" and fills the whole mouth with its fragrant coconut taste.

Kueh bangkit happens to be my hub's favourite CNY snacks and he can finish a tub by himself in no time. Like all other CNY cookies, they can get quite expensive, especially so during the festive season. That's why he has been asking me to bake him kueh bangkit ever since we were together, but I never get around to doing it. They have a reputation for being very troublesome to make, plus I usually have more than enough to handle during the CNY period with Pineapple tarts, Almond cookies and Hay Bee Hiam rolls. 

When we head to Melaka last December and had that awesome "nyonya tiffin lunch", we also went on a crazy culinary shopping trip. I bought so many things that were otherwise very hard to find in Singapore, or Australia for that matter. That includes these precious, traditional, kueh bangkit cutters. I would prefer a wooden mould instead but we didn't find any..... and I don't have much luggage space left anyway. So much to see, so much to eat, so much to buy! Now that I have the cutters, I ran out of excuses reasons not to make them for hubs. 

Kueh Bangkit (makes 100+ cookies)
(recipe from malaysianchinesekitchen)

450g     Tapioca flour
   8        Pandan leaves, cut into 2" pieces
   2        Egg yolks
   2g      Salt
165g     Caster sugar 
180g     Coconut cream (just the thick cream that floats on top)

Preheat oven to 100°C
1. On a large baking sheet, insert the pandan leaves into the tapioca flour and dry it in the oven for 1 hour, giving it a brief stir every 15 minutes. Let cool and sift the flour. Measure out 370g and reserve the rest for dusting.

2. Whisk the yolks, sugar and salt till the mixture becomes pale and creamy.

3. Gradually add and mix in the coconut cream and flour, alternating till a dough forms and is not tacky to touch. Not all of the cream and flour might be needed, likewise additional cream and flour might be needed.

4. Tip the dough out onto a cleaned, lightly floured surface and continue kneading briefly to form a soft dough. Dough should be kneadable and on the "drier" side. Cling wrap or cover with a moist towel and rest for 30mins.

5. Roll dough to a thickness of approximately 3mm, punch out dough using cookie cutters and crimp on design if desired.

OR

If using wooden moulds, dust generously with the dried tapioca flour. Pinch out small pieces of dough and press it into the cavities of the moulds. Use a small knife to cut away the excess dough and knock the pressed design out.

Preheat oven to 150°C
6. Bake for 15-20mins depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies will feel light and the bottom will be slightly browned when done.

Optional: Use a small paintbrush or toothpick, dot on a little edible red food colouring once the cookies are cool enough to handle.

7. Let cool completely (and that the red dot has dried) on a wired rack before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Thoughts: Although they're not perfect but I'm satisfied with the results for a first attempt. I'd say that while kueh bangkit are not exceptionally difficult to make, they are really a little tedious. Traditionally, the flour is supposed to be fried in a wok for at least 15 minutes instead of having them dried in the oven. I can't imagine the mess it will make since drying them out in the oven already caused my kitchen to look as if Elsa from "Frozen" blew a mini blizzard over it.

I went through a few recipes before getting my hands dirty and was confused when some of them states that the amount of cream and flour required are not fixed; could be more or less than the stated amount. To me, that translate to having the experience or the skill, to be able to tell by touch when the dough is "ready". That made me even more hesitant. Since this is my first time, I can only rely on other people's experiences: dough should be "kneadable", not too moist and slightly on the drier side, otherwise I can only learn from my mistakes.

Sadly, I erred too much on drier side and the dough was a little difficult to roll out. I should have gone with my guts and added a little more coconut cream, but I was worried about getting the dough too wet. The dough might take in more coconut cream than stated amount, depending on how "dry" the flour was. So if you find the dough too crumbly, just add a tablespoon of coconut cream, work with it a little more, before deciding whether more cream is needed. The dough's texture is one elusive aspect to grasp, perhaps it will be most apt to describe it as the feel of "Play-Doh" but doesn't crumble as much when pinched. 

Also remember to adjust the oven's temperature and/or baking time according to the cookies' size. Not taking into considerations that my cookies are quite small, I followed the original temperature of 160°C and browned my first batch too much. They didn't just lose their signature whitish colour, they were also crunchier and less "melt in your mouth" compared to the subsequent batches.

Thankfully, my hubs, the cause of all these pain, the (un)fortunate guinea pig of my virgin kueh bangkits, thought they are as good as the retail ones (aww... you're so sweet! thanks hubs!). The ache in my tired shoulders just "melts away" (like the kueh bangkit haha) as I see him happily munching on kueh bangkit after kueh bangkit. That alone was gratifying enough to make all the troubles worthwhile. Yes, even cleaning up the faux powdered snow mess. Perhaps that was why the older generations were willing to go through such a tedious process to make these delicate pastries. Maybe all that is needed is for everyone to enjoy and be happy during Chinese New Year. At least I know that is what I want to achieve.

With that, I wish everyone a very Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year! Wishing all good health, good wealth and good eats in the year to come. 恭喜发财!

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