Kueh Bangkit
The recipe to kick start your spring cleaning process!
Other than Christmas, another holiday we get to look forward to lots of food, family & friends is Chinese New Year! Typically visiting home to home punctuates big family meals. Each visit involves its own assortment of savoury and sweet nibbles, washed down with sweet red date, longan & goji berry tea for good health & blessings.
Of course this year is a little different, with travel & visiting restrictions to protect the whole community. So stay safe! Embrace the extra time you have at home to experiment with more time consuming recipes like this one!
Rather controversially, Kueh Bangkit are my favourite Chinese New Year treat. Think pineapple tarts, kueh lapis, nian gao, bak kwa… the list goes on. I just don’t think any compete with that special melt in your mouth flavour! Despite its unassuming looks, you just have to appreciate all the effort that goes into this little cookie which showcases the lightness of the flour and the freshness of the pandan & coconut cream.
Jump to RecipeI was first inspired to try my hand at these after hearing about my grandma’s legendary Kueh Gulong (Love Letters), Kueh Bangkit and Kueh Lapis from back in the day. Unfortunately there were no recipes for me to follow and her only advice was to use ‘the right amount’ of sago flour! Talk about an engima…
Kueh means cake, and Bangkit means to rise up (as this cookies does, despite the lack of leavening agents). So lets rise up to the challenge!
Some people swear by sago flour, others by tapioca flour. I decided to follow my grandma’s advice. To achieve the lightness in the cookie, you need to fry the already light flour in a wok over low heat with the pandan to infuse the flavour and dry out any moisture. This is why I call it the ‘anti’ spring cleaning recipe.
Another tradition in Chinese New Year is the pre-celebration spring cleaning. Out with the old, in with the new! Everything from floors, windows & curtains, to the treasures collected in the deepest corners of your drawers. A good reminder to tidy up frankly, but also a neat way to get really hungry for all the Chinese New Year treats we look forward to.
As the clock strikes midnight after Chinese New Year Eve dinner, I learned that one does not clean. Especially does not sweep or mop, at least for 24 hours. If you’re desperate, maybe vacuum but don’t even think about emptying out the dust from the container! Just keep it safely in your house.
So this recipe is very clearly pre-spring cleaning recipe. The flour goes…everywhere! Something similar to cocoa powder or icing sugar if you’re not careful. The frying makes it even lighter and it really forms a light layer of fragrant powder over anything left out and about in your kitchen. Including yourself! The things recipes don’t usually tell you…
For me, it was a great way to kick start the spring cleaning process. Wipe down every cupboard, appliance and surface in the kitchen. Aggressive mopping of the floors… All before the luck pours in on 初一 (first day)!
Don’t be afraid, you can be careful and contain the mess. Also, it is entirely worth it for the flavours and mouth feel you’re going to get. So different from the industrial sort. One great point on these for those with allergies or intolerances is that they are traditionally both gluten & dairy free without any alterations! Rare for holiday sweets.
Enjoy celebrating everyone. Remember to stay safe & healthy. Or should we say “身体健康”!
Kueh Bangkit
Equipment
- Kueh Bangkit Mould
- Large wok
Ingredients
Flour
- 800 g Sago Flour
- 12 Pandan Leaves Washed, dried well, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 250 g Coconut cream
Dough
- 1 portion prepared flour (above) Pandan leaves removed
- 240 g Coconut cream Either hand pressed, or canned
- 200 g Icing sugar
- 3 – 4 Egg yolks
Instructions
Flour preparation
- Heat a large wok over low heat, add sago flour and dry fry for 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add pandan leaves to flour and continue to fry over low heat for another 10 – 15 minutes. Stir often , until it feels light & leaves are dried out.
- Spread the flour around the work and leave it to cool for 12 hours in a dry place. Sift before use.
- If not making the cookies immediately, sift and store the flour in an airtight jar.
Dough
- Whisk the coconut cream with 100g of the icing sugar together until smooth. It will look a little grey, which is fine.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the egg yolks with the remaining 100g of icing sugar on high speed until thick and smooth.
- Add the coconut sugar solution prepared earlier, and continue to mix with the electric mixer on low speed.
- Add 500g of sago flour in 3 batches. Between each batch, use a wooden / plastic spatula to stir well.
- Once all the flour is incorporated, you will have a sticky dough that seems hard to handle. As you mix it, it will turn back on itself and fill the space. When its done, you would be able to make indents with your finger.
- Cover the mixing bowl with a wet towel when resting to avoid it drying out.
Shaping & baking
- Pre heat oven to 140°C.Line the work space with baking paper and dust with extra sago flour. Dust the kueh bangkit mould with sago flour too.
- From the mixing bowl of flour, take out what appears to be enough to fill the mold once and leave it in the extra fried sago flour. Pinch off one portion, make sure the surface is well dusted and use your palm to push it into the first mould. Use your thumb to wipe away the excess. Use this as part of your next ball and finish filling the mould.
- Once ready, turn the mould over and hit the edge you are not holding against your opposite wrist or on the table. You may need to do this several times until all of the little dough shapes come out.
- Repeat until you can fill one baking tray with the shapes, about 1cm apart. This means you can fit many one one sheet.
- Put the tray in the lower part of the oven and leave at 140°C for 10 minutes. After this, reduce to 110°C and bake for a further 20 minutes.
- When you check, the kueh bangkit should not be turning brown (they will remain pale) but should be dry at the bottom.
- Leave them on the tray to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack until they are fully cooled. Store in a very airtight container to maintain the crisp.
