1st chinese new year cookies 2010

Chinese new year is around the corner.... i am planning to do my 1st CNY biscuit..... when recall back the taste and the melting texture of kuih BOM / MAKMUR that i bought in Brunei during my last holiday trip.... i decided to try bake the biscuit by myself.... (Brunei Trip)

First... i try to search the recipe from the Internet... quit hard to find it.. cause i never know that KUIH BOM are actually same with KUIH MAKMUR.... i keep on searching the recipe for KUIH BOM... until one of the blog mention that both are them same... @_@

there are two version of KUIH MAKMUR.... one is mixed all the ingredients and another one is wrap the peanut with the dough.... of course i try the easier one... because this is my first try... i want to increase the success % .... :D

here are the recipe that i copy from the Internet.....
http://jodelibakery.netfirms.com/SAE/kuih%20makmur/kuih_makmur_sugared_ghee_balls.htm

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INGREDIENTS:

Makes 150

500g cake/superfine flour, sifted

350g peanuts, DE-skinned

250g ghee (unsalted), melted and cooled

1-1½ tsp of salt

2 eggs

Icing sugar (sifted) for coating

METHOD:

1. Fry sifted flour over slow fire until it is dry, light and leaves the sides of pan/wok.
2. Fry peanuts over slow fire until fragrant. Grind while the peanuts are still warm.
3. Combine fried flour, ground peanuts and salt in a mixing bowl. Blend well.
4. Add eggs and melted ghee to the dry ingredients. Beat with the creaming attachment of your mixer at low speed to mix. Stop mixing as soon as a dough is formed.
5. Form dough into balls of your preferred size. Place balls on grease proof paper. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree for 10-15 minutes.
6. Cool cookies on their baking tray for 15-20 minutes. Coat cookies with sifted icing sugar (as shown). Store cookies in airtight container.

NOTE:

1. These cookies may not appear to be attractive to you but believe it or not, they are one of the most popular Chinese New Year treats for the Malaysians! You must try it!
2. The purpose of frying the flour is to result in light and “ melt- in-your mouth” texture.
3. Although I suggested frying peanuts that have already been DE-skinned beforehand, it is actually advisable to first fry the peanuts and then remove the skin. This way results in more fragrant peanuts, although it may sound more complicated.

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here i post some pic during the baking process.......


I'm using 350g skin peanut....cost only RM2.50


this is the GHEE... 200g RM5.50.... i mixed with majerin 50g.... (cause not enough GHEE)


BLUE KEY superfine-superwhite flour 1kg RM3.8/2 = RM1.90 (use half only 500g)


icing sugar 400g RM1.90/2 = RM0.80 (use half only 200g)


fry the skinned peanut with medium fire until fragrant and crispy...


DE-skinned the peanut using bare hand... u can feel the warm and feel comfortable during the raining day....


after all the peanut have been DE-skinned... yum yum..


my mum help me to throw all the peanut skin using the old way... that is blow the skin to the air... :D


after all the skin have been throw.... and clean....


make sure pick up the rotten and burned peanut to make sure it will not spoil your KUIH MAKMUR taste... cause the taste will be bitter later.....

Brand the peanut till very fine.... i prefer that cause the kuih taste will be smooth later.....


after all the peanut have been branded... and the weight are around... 320g... it doesn't matter..


after mixed all the ingredient follow the recipe above... then start to sharp the dough into the round sharp.. i prefer the medium size... around 10g each... so that i can put in my mouth in one time... n_n


then put in the oven for 20 minutes around 170~180 degree.... if u prefer bigger.. then need to bake for longer time.... if u not sure the biscuit are fully cook or not... try to EAT them... :D


after bake... straight transfer the biscuit into the pan with icing sugar... i prefer this way compare to wait them cooling down first... this to ensure the biscuit can stick to more icing sugar... and the taste are nicer....


sift some icing sugar on top of the biscuit.... then roll the biscuit inside the pan with the icing sugar using hand... this step must be very carefully to ensure minimum biscuit break....


this is the additional step... roll the biscuit with two bare hand.... to make sure the icing sugar fully stick to the biscuit....


this step also need to be very caution.... i will break easily is u press hard to the biscuit during the rolling process inside the pan and also rolling inside your two hand


then roll again inside the pan fill with icing sugar.... this step are suitable for those who like sweeter MAKMUR..... can see that the layer of icing sugar are thicker... yummy yummy....


JeNg~~JeNg~~JeNg~~JeNg~~... this are the finish product... and it taste fantastic with the MELT-IN-MOUTH texture....... i give the mark 90% for my self... :D
and i want to thanks to jodelibakery.netfirms.com for the recipe.... @_@

P.S. the expenses for this MAKMUR are less than RM15.00 ~~WOW~~ but the market price are triple than this price..... u may try this at home...

P.S. here are the link for the another version of KUIH MAKMUR...
http://honeybeesweets88.blogspot.com/2009/01/peanut-cookie-kueh-makmur.html
maybe next time i can try this recipe... ^_^

SeCrEt @ HiDiNg

when u know someone's secret and the information are very importance for someone else... would u spread the news?... the answer is NO when u know that this news will bring more disadvantages than advantages.... and both side are people u care in your life,,,,

we always meet this situation,, at last the one suffer are us,, cause we know the truth and we can't tell the truth out,,,,

but when can see the happy and smiling face from both side,, i feel that my contribution are worth,,,,

and i hope that the one know nothing can still be happy until the end,,

life can consider not too short and not too long,, we must appreciate the life that we have,, the every person that we meet,, the things that we have,, the every happy moment,, and of course sad moment,, we learn everything from there,, the good @ bad lessons,, we learn to grow up,, learn how to talk @ speak to people in a good way,, learn how to respect people,, learn how to control anger,, and learn to be patient as well,, all this we need to learn and improve no matter how young @ old are u,, still the same words,, nobody is PERFECT,,,, ~~~~~ ThAnK You ~~~~~

this photo taken by Chai Hong (my favorite photographer) during one of our GTs geng's weeding (Yee Loong)

1st ViSiT to BORNEO by VIP to VVIP

today i receive a confirmation from VIP that he will come to sibu this coming friday,, i have knew it yesterday but that time he cant confirm yet,, he try to make it secret and surprise for me,, since this is his first visit and he know nothing about borneo,, so he decided not to hide from me,, maybe he scare he lost???.... :D

this is his first time come and visit VVIP since we know each others for around 5&1/2 years,, what a long day we have go through,, i will tell the story soon,,,,

on Friday evening... i use the "OGAWA" bus from MUKAH to SIBU to fetch VIP.... why i say "OGAWA"... this is because the journey from MKH to SIBU are bad due to the road still under construction... the whole body just like forcing to do massage in a unconfortable way... and it takes 2 1/2 bad road and 1 1/2 good road and total 4 hours journey... my whole body going to break...

the time reaching SIBU are matching with VIP finish his meeting with TELEKOM people... he tell me that the meeting are useless... he just manage to talk a few words and yet he ready all the detail and material for few nights to standby for their meeting... the project manager come from semenanjung are complaning as well.. :D

take a pic with MR "OX" ..... MISS "SWAM" in the center of SIBU town

VIP take pic with UNCLE "RAT"

he don't like the Mee Kampua soup with "Perut Lembu"

during window shopping, i found this funny doll... do we look alike... @_@

second day, on the way back from SIBU to MUKAH can see a lots OLD/DIED oil palms by the road side

first dinner treat by VVIP to welcome VIP

UP = mix vegie
DOWN = terung sambal
LEFT = sotong mayo
RIGHT = ikan merah masak tiga rasa
CENTER = umai Jeb (mukah famous food)
&
mushroom soup (with a lot white paper)

the comment from VVIP and the guests... wah! so spicy....eeesss..eeesss.....
the comment from VIP and me... ok ar... can be accepted.... yum yum

the conclusion is... semenanjung people can accept spicyness more than sarawakian.....

the second day in MUKAH, we have a morning walk with VVIP to the "JUNGLE"??!!!
no no no... just a place that not yet develop.....
can u see the "dangereous" by walking over the small river? answer is of course NO...

comment from the VVIP... are u going to shop?...
why she say so?.. cause im wearing a good outfit to the "jungle".... :D

the temperory house own by foreign workers... can see them taking bath by the river side.....

the blue blue sky upper the after clearing land....

my faverioute blue blue sky again.....

someone are collecting the "sago" palm and tie them together waiting to pull them out to the big river...
can see their hard work... need to work under the big sun and the whole body need to deep down to the water....

have a visit to the small industry processing the "kueh sepit" call by sarawakian @ "kueh kapet" call by semenanjung people..
what a shame that i never know that mukah also famous with kueh sepit... and i just have my 1st visit since 25 years i stay in MUKAH... >..<lll

fully paying attention to the "macik" while she is baking the "kueh sepit" and telling the ingredient she add....

she add a table spoon mixed ingredient to the hot pan.... then use single long chopstick to roll it and have a lightly bake again..

last last cut it using the scissor to the desire length...
the work really hard.. and need to stay in the warm room from day to night...

i believe that hard work will bring good return... if one never put a HEART in anything they do.... then don't think that U will get any good return...

don't ever look down this small industry... one month they can earn 7k "bersih"... just by doing the local business the workers are from the local village housewife...

can see that i really enjoy see them do baking and really make my self just like at home... :D

here are the price list for the "kueh sepit" in the different size of container....

on the evening time, VIP going back to KL from MUKAH airfield by transit at KUCHING airport..... he is lucky that VVIP are going to KUCHING as well... so both of them will have a good time in the small plane.... so this is the 1st time VIP visit borneo for 3 days 2 night and hope that he enjoy the trip and dont feel worry to come again next time... :D...

~~~~ HAVE A G@@D DAYS~~~~

YaM YaM YuMMy

last few day,, im so lucky that i can bought 1kg good yam,, some of u sure feel its nothing to be so happy right,, no no no,, i really like yam very much and not all the food made from yam i will accepted,, cause most of the thing are just add yam essence or partly yam and not 100% real yam,, beside that here mukah are small town,, so quit hard to find fresh food beside seafood,,,,

actually after watching the cooking channel from ASTRO and read some recipe books,, i noticed there is a few simple recipes from yam,, so i decided to try it,, first i try the recipe that i learn from the ASTRO,,,,

okiey,, i start to simply describe how i cook this dish,,,,

step1: steam the yam and mash it
step2: add sugar and salt and mix well
step3: add cooking oil and mix really well (foam sticky)
step4: add corn flour and mix well
step5: sandwich the yam with two pieces of biscuit (can use both salty and sweetly biscuit)
step6: deep fry with medium fire and ready to self with a cup of hot tea,,,,

i still have some left over yam and will try to cook others dish,,,,

~~~~~~~~~~~ to be continue ~~~~~~~~~~~

HoMe SwEet HoMe

today i have a special half day leave due to "women sick"... :P

lying on my bed and looking around my room more clearly and just realize that so long i didn't notice them since i start schooling in matriculation Labuan until now,, the total time frame
are 6 and half years,, OMG,, what a long time that i dump my room just like that,, all the time,, i just use my room for sleeping,, means that only 8/24 hours i spend my time in my room,, further more,, im away from my home,, so i will just come back home twice a year,,,,

the room decoration can consider neat and tidy,, but of course not grand,, the room are all my child hood memory but only start from the time we move in the house,, 1st thing i realize is we have lot book cabinets compare to decoration cabinet,, although we are poor,, my mum as a teacher really encourage us read a lot of books and try to make us love book,, for her by doing a lot reading can bring us to success,, she will not let us throw any old book or unused book and force us to keep the book properly for our next generation,, and yet my mum is that kind that don't like to keep any old stuff,, that why my home don't have any historical things excepted books,, i always fight with her that when the next generation come out,, the format all will be change,, but she still stick to her opinion,, too bad that i cant bring all this memories to our new house that estimate will be complete within 2010,, we have decided only the important things and our self are moving in to the new house,, most of the things we need to throw,, we of course cant keep the old house too,, cause we need to do the renovation and return the house back to my grandmother,, we will help her to rent out the house and the rental will be her extra income,, my grandparent are very kind to let us stay in this house FOC nearly 18 years,,,,

the house are warm and comfortable,, we have done a lot minor and major renovation due to the house are getting old and most of the parts need to do some maintenance service,, in this house happens joy and sadness in my life,, i miss those time when my grandfather still alive,, he is the one sent us to and back from school,, he still will find us and bring us to have a cup of tea when he have moved out and stay with my youngest uncle,, i hate that time when our family are being bully by our own relative and i will never forgot the time when we are really poor and this is the only home as our protection,,,,

while writing this,, surprisingly i cried,, thinking back that i have a parent that really love us very much and try their best to give us everything that we need,, they just simply hope that we never forget them and respect them when we are success,, and never never act like those who treat us really bad,, and love our family member,, i promise my self that i will try my best to follow what they want,, cause they are my parent,, without them~i will not be in this world,, without them~ i cant live so comfortable now,, i feel happy that i make the decision to come back here and helping my parent in their business,, i know that i need to let go something,, but im very clear that,, in this world,, we cant get everything that we want,,
they are no such thing,, NOTHING IS PERFECT~~~ ^_^

CaP~Pa~LaNg

Actually i have a lot of stories and heart sound that i want to tell .. but i don't know which topic to start to and yet i have no enough time for me to edit blog or to think a better words to make my blog sound nicer,, so maybe u will start to feel that my grammar are totally out or u cant understand what actually i want to tell.. here i want to apologize first... :P,,,,

recently a lot of things are change or maybe can say a lot new things happened in my life that i need to go through,, i cant say that people are changing but we all are changing due to the environment,, we cant just follow the original plan or the current life style until old or death,, maybe u are the lucky one to get that,, but im sure mostly will need to be change,, either u decided or u are force to,, but all are for our own good,,,,

if talk about work life,, maybe u are get use to be a student and everything are spoon feed by the lectures and no need to pay any responsible to any kind of responsibility,, now u are in the working life,, u need to know that people are paying you and of course they want something worth the same back or even they want more than what they pay u,, no matter u like or don't,, u still need to follow their rules,, and sure we still can get the job,, and of course when u are feel bored to be control by people and u want to be ur own boss,, the responsible are even more,, u cant say that i want to wake up at 12noon and do nothing for the whole day and without any good reasons,,,,

if talk about family love,, one maybe you treat them as your best friend or your good listener or maybe u treat them as your soul,, thing will change soon and sooner,, this not only they become bad or not the same character when u know them but maybe because the environment change,, they have their new life,, they have their new family,, they have their new thinking,, they are busy as you to build their future,,,,

if talk about love,, from normal friend to special friend to very very special friend and to partner and last to husband and wife and of course the old life partner all are changing from stage by stage that we all need to go through,, maybe in this process the things will be up and down just like others (work and family and friends),,,,

we need to be brave to accepted the changes and don't be scare,, everything will be fine soon,, first step are always the hardest step to success,, decision are always harsh@cruel,,,,

here i want to wish all my FAMILY & FRIENDS happy 2010 and always stay healthy,, and i want to tell u all that i love u all so much... ~SA~LAN~HEE~ ^_^