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Tham Jiak: Bribing with Cookies
Tham Jiak means in some way "love to eat" in Hokkien. I am a Malaysian Hokkien and truly love to eat.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Bribing with Cookies

I cannot believe it! Tomorrow is the last day of the Chinese Lunar calendar! I am going to leave for my dearest hometown wee early tomorrow morning along with aunty and cousins, and I can’t wait. Though counting up to tomorrow have been anxious, then turn to stress, then turn to excitement and then now anticipation. I can’t wait to drink my Pho Pho’s heart-stopping duck soup and wrap pieces after pieces after pieces after pieces of lettuce around my all-time-favourite Pho Pho’s jiu hu char. I can't wait to toss the Yee Sang with everyone up so high half of it end up on the table. I can’t wait to casually walk into my Lai Ma’s house again and mention casually that I haven’t had lunch, I hope the same trick works again, but then again, I don’t need a trick to have my Lai Ma pushing food to me. Moreover this year I am armed with New Year cookies for her as well! Hah! It does sound like I am bringing a container of cookies in exchange for a mouth-watering feast, I would say this is such a good deal, agree?

I have baked more goodies after my initial kick-off Chinese New Year baking and finally chosen to remake Green Pea cookies in batches for giveaways because it was oh-so-tasty and not too tedious to make. I mentioned that Peanut cookies seemed like a new cookie for Chinese New Year but oh boy was I wrong, Lily reminisced making these with her grandmother, only that the original called for lard! I stand corrected but I might try again to say these Green Pea cookies should be newer in generation, as I could not recall it before the appearance of Peanut cookies during Chinese New Year, and some even claimed that it was a variation of the traditional Peanut cookies. Correct me if I am wrong again! I do not know what the Green Pea cookies represent in Chinese in comparison to other more obvious cookies, if anyone does know, do let me know too!

As for now, pardon the short post, I need to get ready, pack my bag and head north to celebrate in gluttony. By the way, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Green Pea Cookies

When I made my first batch, I found that it was too sweet, and so I went about researching on more recipes around the wonderful blogosphere and came about to my own measurement below. Also, on the first time I bought the green peas, it was the Jusco selection packet, that comes in 180g and it seem the green peas do look slightly smaller than the usual snack ones. The cookie came out so fragrant, I bought the same packets for my subsequent bakes! Note that these came salted so I omit the salt in the recipe. Also make sure you grind the green pea fine enough for the melt-in-mouth cookies. Similarly to the Peanut cookies, you should add the oil bit by bit until the dough comes together. This time I was a bit lazy and skipped the egg glazing steps, thus my cookies look pale but it still taste oh-so-good. This time I also learnt from the Peanut cookies bakes and used 1 teaspoon to shape my cookies and it came out just the right size to pop into the mouth.

180g ground green pea cookies
180g all-purpose flour (sifted)
80g icing sugar
80 - 100g oil
1/4 tsp salt (omit if green peas are salted)

1 egg lightly beaten for glaze (optional)

Mix the ground green peas, sifted flour, icing sugar and salt (if using) together till well combined
Slowly add in the oil and mix till a pliable dough is formed
Shape them into balls or use a 1 teaspoon to shape it, and then line it on a tray
Brush egg wash on top of each cookie (optional)
Bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes

Make approximately 84 cookies

17 comments:

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Happy New Year! I hope you'll have lots of fun tomorrow...

These cookies are interesting!

Cheers,

Rosa

L said...

I like your green pea cookies better than mine. My eggwash gave mine a cracked appearance, but yours looks nicer without it!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Btw, nice blog name. Haha. I didn't realise what it meant until I read your header. I thought it was Thai or something. But I'm Teochew, so I understand. I think the literal translation is tham = always, jiak = eat, right? :)

rokh said...

rosa, thanks! yea these cookies are interesting and very more-ish, something to beware of. ;)

i bake for you, some of mine has cracked appearance too but lacking the hue. yea, tham jiak is something like always eat/like to eat/ oh well you can't exactly describe a chinese word fully :)

Little Corner of Mine said...

How nice, all the good food awaiting you. I miss this kind of reunion dinner with relatives. Anyway want to wish you a prosperous and healthy Ox year!

rokh said...

little corner of mine, yes i should cherish these reunions. :)

Anonymous said...

Nothing quite like some new year cookies to cheer up the celebrations, rite? Especially the home-made ones. :)

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Have an Oxpicious New Year ahead! :D

Anonymous said...

Nothing quite like some new year cookies to cheer up the celebrations, rite? Especially the home-made ones. :)

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Have an Oxpicious New Year ahead! :D

Breadpitt said...

lovely blog and the name were cute too....tham jiak....and u fried those peanut urself...gosh ,it took some time ...i did that before but for HARK KAH LUI CHA....if u know what i mean, haham happy chinese new year ...

Babe_KL said...

May the year of Ox bring you all the happiness, good fortune, health and prosperity you wish for.

rokh said...

kenny, new year cookies is da sin of CNY :) and i love it!!

breadpitt, thanks! yes, frying it was so tedious and yea i know hakka lui cha, love it!

FooDcrazEE said...

happy new year girl

Anonymous said...

HI

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

Would like to know - the green peas used in the recipe- is it mung bean or the type of snack green pea.

regards

rokh said...

gong xi fa cai to all!

anonymous, i used the snack type fried green peas.

Anonymous said...

it was my first year trying the green peas cookies..how jakun :p

rokh said...

citygal, its ok, so i am right about them being quite 'new' to CNY cookeis galore ;)

Anonymous said...

Hi! It was nice meeting you yesterday. :-) Looking forward to reading more of your stuff. :-)

PerutBesi said...

Hey there!! It's great meeting u yesterday :) Keep up the good work on your blog...was trying to search for your blog but couldn't find it :P Spelt it was 'tam chiak' in Google..takda pun :D Hahaha...see u around! Keep in touch ;)

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