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

* Epicurean Wednesday *


Asian Flair Dessert Table: Malaysian

I really like the idea of having the dessert table and I am thrilled to know that many of my blog readers and friends actually like that too!

As a Malaysian Chinese, I have been introduced to all kinds of delicious cuisines offered by three major races in Malaysia since young. The three major races are Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Malaysian cuisine is very much influenced by all three races. No doubt, they are all delicious and I miss kuih-muih* so much! (wish I am having a long vacation in Malaysia right now ^.*)
*Kuih-muih = bite-sized steamed desserts

So instead of an American-style dessert table which we have discussed last week, I am going to introduce you to the Malaysian-style dessert table filled with a lot of colorful and flavorful bite-sized cuisine and sweet soups.

- Chinese Cuisine -

Top row (from left to right): Seri Muka from La Maman Gourmande, Seri Muka from My Kitchen Snippets, Kuih Lapis Nyonya (Layered Cake) from High Over Happy
Bottom row: Angku Kueh from My Kitchen Snippets


All Chinese baked breads/buns from My Kitchen Snippets


- Malay Cuisine -

Top (from left to right): Kuih Koci/Glutinous Rice Cake with Coconut Filling from My Kitchen Snippets, Kueh Bakar/Kueh Kemboja from My Kitchen Snippets, Kueh Ubi Kayu/Tapioca Cake from My Kitchen Snippets, Apam Puteri Ayu from Shekin Foods Enterprise
Bottom (from left to right): Kueh Dadar/Kueh Ketayap from 1001Resepi, Kuih Bahulu/Kuih Baulu from Beachlover Kitchen, Pulut Inti/Glutinous Rice Packet from 1001Resepi


(From left to right) Samosa Kentang, Getuk Ubi, Gendang Kasturi - all from Shekin Foods Enterprise, Pisang Goreng/Fried Banana Fritters from Almost Bourdain



- Indian Cuisine -

Custom-designed specialty Sweet & Dessert tables with finest Bengal sweets delicacies complete with color-coordinated table linens and napkins, china, silverware, and fresh floral centerpieces accented with candles, from Premium Sweets

On top of various dessert stations (solid food), we can include the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Specialty Drink Station (which may apply to any dessert station from all three cultural groups shown above). Our DIY station mainly focus on Ais Kacang (aka ABC) and Cendol because most other sweet soups are to be prepared in advance.

Ingredients for ais kacang are red beans, sweet corns, grass jelly, cincao, and palm seeds served with shaved ice and topped with palm sugar syrup, evaporated milk and garnished with some peanuts. Whereas, cendol is even easier...It is just cendol (green jelly), red beans, palm sugar syrup, and coconut milk served with shaved ice.

Top (from left to right): Cendol & Ais Kacang Station from Fondue of Life, Cendol from Grab Your Fork, (top) Cendol from The Journey of My Life, (bottom) Ais Kacang from Grab Your Fork, Cendol from Ipoh Wave
Bottom: Ais Kacang with ice-cream from Chow Times, (top & bottom)Ais Kacang from Grab Your Fork, Ais Kacang Station from Grab Your Fork, Mango Sago Dessert from My Kitchen Snippets, Bubur Gandum from 1001Resepi, Quail Eggs, Lotus Seeds, & Gingko Sweet Soup from Life Loves The Curious, Soy Bean Drink from My Asian Kitchen, Bobor Cha Cha from Grab Your Fork

These are simple and I am sure both adult and children guests will be delightful of trying out the fun and colorful specialty drink station at your reception. People will remember making their own ABC & Cendol at your reception, even months after your wedding.

Isn't it a fun and sweet way to kick start your marriage life? Do you have more creative ideas to share? Please email me at yoursmoment{at}gmail{dot}com. I would love to hear from you.