Chinese New Year Cookies Recipe: Love in Every Bite!
Chinese New Year is the time of the year when families get together and share love in the form of various foods. New Year cookies are one of those foods that contain affection in every piece. In this busy world, the tradition of homemade cookies is fading gradually.
I wanted to remind you of those amazing bites of love through my Chinese New Year cookies recipe. Although it takes some time and effort, these cookies will refresh your memories of joy. Let’s make some New Year cookies.
Table of Contents
Chinese New Year Cookies Recipe Overview
As I will make the cookies from scratch, the preparation time is a bit higher. Here is the recipe overview.
| Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 24 hours | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 4 persons | 23 hours | 1 hour | 46 kcal |
Ingredients Needed for Chinese New Year Cookies Recipe
The time required to make these cookies may be long, but the ingredients list is small. Check it out.
- Rice: Use 500g of short-grain Chinese rice.
- Brown Sugar: 200g
- Sesame Seed: 25g of sesame seeds
Yes, you need nothing more than these ingredients to make New Year cookies. Let’s see the whole process.
Chinese New Year Cookies Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
Following the exact steps I use for making these cookies is crucial. Here are the steps.
Step 1: Soak, Wash, and Dry the Rice
Take the rice in a pot and soak it in water for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours, scrub the rice to remove as much starch as possible. Rinse the rice a few times until the water is clean.
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Then, let the rice dry until there is no excess moisture on the rice.
Step 2: Fry the Rice and Grind It
Heat a large wok over a low flame and start frying the rice. If you are making cookies in a higher quantity, fry the rice in batches. As soon as the rice has a yellowish color, turn the heat off.
Use a stone mill grinder to grind the rice into rice flour. If you don’t have a stone mill grinder, you can use an electric grinder.
Step 3: Prepare the Sugar Syrup
Take 200g of brown sugar in a pan and add about 100ml of water. Remember, the ratio of brown sugar and water should always be 2:1 for the perfect sugar syrup.
Simmer the sugar syrup over low heat for about ten minutes or until the syrup starts bubbling. Then, pour the syrup into a container and let it rest overnight.
Step 4: Make the Cookie Dough
Take the rice flour in a bowl and add toasted sesame seeds to the bowl. Mix them well. Then, pour the sugar syrup you made the night before into the bowl. Start mixing the ingredients and rub them with both of your hands.
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Knead the dough until you can form a ball with it.
Step 5: Shape the Cookies
Take about 20-30g of the dough and stuff it into the cookie mold. Press the dough firmly and then flatten the top with a rolling pin. Remove the excess and take the cookie out of the mold.
Step 6: Steam the Cookies
Boil water in a bamboo steamer. Put the prepared cookies in the steamer and let them steam for about 5-8 minutes.
Step 7: Sun Dry the Cookies
After taking the cookies out of the steamer, spread them onto a bamboo sieve basket and let them dry in the sun. It might take a few hours for the cookies to dry. Chinese New Year cookies are now ready to enjoy and gift to your loved ones.
Nutrition Facts of Chinese New Year Cookies Recipe
As these cookies are steamed, they have less fat content compared to fried cookies. The following list shows an approximate value of the major nutrients.
- Total Carbohydrates: 17g
- Protein: 3g
- Total Fat: 2g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugar: 2g
- Cholesterol: 13mg
- Sodium: 97mg
- Potassium: 131mg
- Calcium: 63mg
- Iron: 0.3mg
Chinese New Year Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Take the rice in a pot and soak it in water for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours, scrub the rice to remove as much starch as possible. Rinse the rice a few times until the water is clean.
- Then, let the rice dry until there is no excess moisture on the rice.
- Heat a large wok over a low flame and start frying the rice. If you are making cookies in a higher quantity, fry the rice in batches. As soon as the rice has a yellowish color, turn the heat off.
- Use a stone mill grinder to grind the rice into rice flour. If you don’t have a stone mill grinder, you can use an electric grinder.
- Take 200g of brown sugar in a pan and add about 100ml of water. Remember, the ratio of brown sugar and water should always be 2:1 for the perfect sugar syrup.
- Simmer the sugar syrup over low heat for about ten minutes or until the syrup starts bubbling. Then, pour the syrup into a container and let it rest overnight.
- Take the rice flour in a bowl and add toasted sesame seeds to the bowl. Mix them well. Then, pour the sugar syrup you made the night before into the bowl. Start mixing the ingredients and rub them with both of your hands.
- Knead the dough until you can form a ball with it.
- Take about 20-30g of the dough and stuff it into the cookie mold. Press the dough firmly and then flatten the top with a rolling pin. Remove the excess and take the cookie out of the mold.
- Boil water in a bamboo steamer. Put the prepared cookies in the steamer and let them steam for about 5-8 minutes.
- After taking the cookies out of the steamer, spread them onto a bamboo sieve basket and let them dry in the sun. It might take a few hours for the cookies to dry. Chinese New Year cookies are now ready to enjoy and gift to your loved ones.
FAQs
I would love to answer some of your additional questions regarding these cookies below.
Can regular flour be substituted with glutinous rice flour in this recipe?
Of course. In fact, glutinous rice flour is more suitable for this recipe because it forms a dough that holds its shape better.
How long do Chinese New Year cookies need to cool before they are ready to be served?
After steaming the cookies, you need to cool them down for at least one hour. It is better to dry the cookies in the sun for a few hours and serve them afterward.
Are there any vegan or gluten-free variations of Chinese New Year cookie recipes available?
Yes. You can use gluten-free flour such as oat flour, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, almond flour, etc., to make these New Year cookies.
Can I use nuts or dry fruits in Chinese New Year cookies?
Sure. There are many variations of this recipe that use almonds, cashew nuts, peanuts, or other ingredients to enhance the flavor profile. Also, you can use dry fruits, such as dates, apricots, etc.
Conclusion
You will feel the smell of the Chinese soil in these sweet cookies. Every time I make these New Year cookies, my kids start grabbing them one after another. Even my relatives and neighbors love these cookies so much. I am sure your friends and family will love the cookies as well.
Follow my Chinese New Year cookies recipe to make these delicious cookies in this Spring Festival. Share them with your friends and family to strengthen your bond and carry forward the legacy of authentic Chinese cuisine.
