Chinese New Year Celebration - Foodie!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Chinese New Year is around the corner. It is the time of the year where each household is getting busy to get ready for the New Year! Are you done preparing the house to welcome the New Year?

Photo Credits:
Sticky Rice Cake (Nian Gao) via China Ancient, Yu Shang via Go Eat Out, Chinese Mochi (Angku Kueh), Steamed Rice Cake (Fatt Gao), & Peanut Cookies via Bread et Butter, Chicken Floss Rolls via Jo Deli Bakery, Coconut Biscuits (Kuih Bangkit) via Carolyn Chan Blog, Chinese Love Letter (Kuih Kapit) via My Foodilicious Blog, Mandarin Oranges via The One Love Blog, and Togetherness Tray via Barbara Beery Kids Cooking Blog.

Cookies & Sweets To Celebrate!

In Malaysia, we have three different races - Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Sweets are presented during festive occasions, ceremonies, and any celebrations. They signify good omen, happiness and prosperity. Sound familiar with Christmas cookies, isn't it? We send good wishes to our friends and family via homemade cookies.

Christmas Cookies

When it comes to wedding favor, I was thinking why not to share homemade cookies/recipes with your wedding guests? We celebrate every festival with the yummy cookies, so why not make a special cookie to celebrate the union of two lovely individuals too? That could be the great homemade recipe to pass down to new generations to come. Heirloom cookie! How does it sound like to you?

Wedding Favors

Homemade cookies wedding favor is absolutely a good idea when you are going to have an intimate wedding (with smaller amount of guests and manageable baking time). There are many alternatives when it comes to packaging, either a jar, a box, or a wrapper. Cookies will look pretty in them. Another new alternative is to prepare the raw cookie mixture in a jar and have wedding guests to bake the cookies themselves (first hand experience is always the best)! I think that is fun. What do you think? Would you consider cookies as your wedding favor?

Here are some traditional cookies you will see during Raya, Chinese New Year, and Deepavali in Malaysia:

Malay Raya Cookies

Chinese New Year Cookies

Indian Sweets

Photo Credits:
1. Christmas Cookies: Martha Stewart Holiday Recipes
2. Wedding Favors: Stack of cookies via Wedding Source, Cookie gifts & ingredients via Stony Brook Cookie Co., Marshmallow Chocolate Cookie Wedding Cake via beau-coup.com, Paper bag favor labels via Betsy White, and Cookie favor in bag with recipe attached via Wedded Luxe blog
3. Malay Raya Cookies: Rempeyek via DiFa Snack, Almond London via Persatuan Peniaga, Almond Cookies (Biskut Gajus) via Afwaz Cooks, Coffee Ring, Chocolate Almond, Mama Carries, and Semprit via Treats & Trade, Chocolate Almond Cookies (Biskut Coklat Badam) via Mama Kitchen, Denmark Cookies via Treats & Trade, Biskut Dahlia via Duralis' Oven
4. Chinese New Year Cookies via Bread Et Butter
5. Indian Sweets: IndianetZone, Various Colorful Indian Sweets via UCSI Frontiers, Laddu via Sydney Morning Herald, Pista Burfi, Kaju Katli, & Rasgulla via JustFoodNow, Gulab Jamun via Easy Recipes, Mung Dal Burfi via Zimbio, and Kesar Peda via Mitho Limdo

All About Chinese New Year in Malaysia: Series 4

Almost every Chinese special occasion/festival in Malaysia is related to food. For instance, we have moon cakes during Mid-Autumn Festival and dumplings (粽子) during Dragon Boat Festival. So what are the special dishes for Chinese New Year Celebration?

There are too many that I would like to show you, therefore, I categorized them into a few categories such as Cookies, Fruits, and Reunion Dinner.

Most dishes and fruits for the celebration are symbolic of good fortune and happiness.

Mandarin Oranges:
Represent wealth and good fortune
Pineapples:
Symbolizes prosperity (It sounds like 'ong' in Hokkien, meaning prosperous.)
Apples:
Symbolizes a safe and smooth year ahead ('ping an' 平安)
Pomelos:
Symbolizes abundance ('loke yau' in Cantonese, 'yau' sounds like the Cantonese word for abundance.)
Fish:
Represent abundance (It pronounces as 'yu' in Mandarin; sounds similar to Chinese word for plenty.)
Noodles:
Represent longevity
Tong Sui:
Symbolizes sweet relationship with family, partner, or friends.
It is time for pictures and cookies recipe!

Variety of CNY Cookies:
Kuih Kapit, Kuih Bangkit, Pineapple Rolls (my favorite!), Cornflake Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Rossy ('Bee Nest'), Peanut Puffs, Fried Arrowhead (Ngaku), and Chicken Floss Rolls.

First Row (from left): Kuih Kapit from here and here, Kuih Bangkit from Nyonya Food, Pineapple Rolls from Nyonya Food
Second Row: Cornflake Cookies from Rasa Malaysia, Peanut Cookies from The Food Site, Rossy ('Bee Nest', '蜜蜂窝') from Boonage
Third Row: Peanut Puffs ('Kok Chai') from Beachlover Kitchen, Fried Ngaku Chips from Penang Tua Pui, Chicken Floss Rolls from Jo's Deli & Bakery

Here are three cookies recipe to share: (I shall try it next time!)

1. Cornflake Cookies by Y3K Magazine (Malaysia)


2. Pineapple Rolls recipe from Nyonya Food


3. Kuih Bangkit by Nyonya Food


Fruits!

First Row (from left): Auspicious Apples from Soy and Pepper Blog, Pineapples from this blog, Pomelos from here
Second Row: Kumquats from this blog as well, Mandarin Oranges as seen here

Are you ready for the VERY IMPORTANT DINNER - REUNION DINNER on Chinese New Year Eve? Yummy!

First Row (from left): Fried Fish with Soy Sauce from Rasa Malaysia, Seafood Hot Pot from here, Buttered Prawns from Wander Lust Food Travel Blog
Second Row: Drunken Chicken from Rasa Malaysia, Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce from Rasa Malaysia
Third Row: Lotus Root Soup from Rasa Malaysia, Longan Tong Sui from Rasa Malaysia, Loh Han Zhai (Vegetarian) from Food 4tots, Longevity Noodles from here, Red Bean Paste Pancakes from Rasa Malaysia

2 more days to Chinese New Year Eve.
Happy Thursday!