17 January 2012 | 53 comments
Posted in Chinese, cookie/ cracker, Featured Articles, snacks, Vegetarian
In the past, every Lunar New Year, my mother would surely bake some festive cookies for the family. Being her key assistant cum tester, I had the least interest in making peanut cookies. To-date, I still find them neither tasty nor appealing in looks. Hence, they never make it to my “to-bake” list for Lunar New Year. As they say, never say never. I had a change of heart recently and decided to bake these “dreadful” peanut cookies. Oh!!! Woman, woman, you are a complete mystery in the universe. Professor Stephen Hawking is so right. lol! But, in fact, I was inspired by my reader, Sandy Goh. Two weeks ago, she shared with me a precious peanut cookie recipe that she had learned from her “master sifu”. What fascinated me is that only four basic ingredients (eg peanuts, flour, sugar and oil) are used, and they are mixed according to a fixed ratio. This ratio works well whether you measure the ingredients in cups or grams. To that, I tweaked the recipe a bit by adding salt and butter. I also used more peanuts and lesser flour. So, what’s the verdict? I am pleased to say that the peanut cookies turned out to be crunchy at the first bite, and then softly crumbled with a melt-in-the mouth texture as soon as they hit your tongue. These cookies were fully packed with the fragrance of both finely grounded and tiny bits of roasted peanuts. The sweetness is just right and well balanced by a hint of salty flavour. Not only my family and friends gave it a thumb up, I also couldn’t resist the temptation to pop these little golden morsels into my mouth, one after another, and another, and…… Although this recipe is very simple and straightforward, there are a few things you need to watch out. First, as peanut is the key ingredient in the recipe, I would strongly recommend you to buy good quality peanuts and roast them yourself. This is to ensure that you get to taste more aroma of peanuts. Second, you may grind the peanuts to be superfine and smooth, but I prefer mine to be a bit coarse so that the cookies would give me something to munch on. Last but not least, remember to weigh each cookie dough to the same grammage so that they can be cooked evenly. Don’t skip this step! Given that peanut is one of the most common food allergies, this recipe is not recommended for kids below 3 years old (age as recommended by American Academy of Pediatrics), kid who has a family history of allergies or kid who has had a food allergy in the past. If this is the first time you introduce peanuts to your child, please consult your pediatrician for further advice. We will soon be heading back to my hubby’s hometown to celebrate the Lunar New Year. So, before I end this post, let’s me wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year!! 在新的一年，祝大家龙年大吉，龙气冲天，财源滚滚，发得像飞龙，身体壮得像斗龙，龙年快乐！ -> Get the recipe and step by step tutorial at PAGE 2 BELOW. Other festive cookies that you may bake for the Lunar New Year: 
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53 Comments
noobcook says:17 January 2012 at 10:47 pm
they look so amazing and professional. Wishing you and your loved ones 龙年快乐, 万事如意!
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:27 pm
Noobcook: Thanks for your high rating! Same to you and your family!! 😉
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- food-4tots says:
27 January 2012 at 9:02 am
LCOM: Thanks!! 😉
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- tigerfish says:
18 January 2012 at 7:29 am
Yes! 身体壮得像斗龙! 🙂
I usually like the almond version of this. Your peanut cookies look flawless!
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:29 pm
Tigerfish: Thanks for your wonderful compliments and suggestion!! I will try the almond version later. 😉
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- Meg Tan says:
18 January 2012 at 9:21 am
I’m eagerly waiting for the day my son turns 3 (he’s 2 now), then I can use peanuts in my cooking and baking, like soups, peanut butter, peanut cookies… shall KIV this recipe till then :p
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:31 pm
Meg Tan: Yes, it’s better to wait until he turns 3. For me, I only introduced peanuts to my son after 5 years old because of his asthmatic cough. 😉
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- Joanne says:
18 January 2012 at 10:05 am
Well I am certainly NOT allergic to peanuts and I’m so glad because I can’t wait to try these!
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:32 pm
Joanne: Hope you will love this Chinese peanut cookies. Happy trying! 😉
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- Nasi Lemak Lover says:
18 January 2012 at 1:29 pm
I never made peanut cookie before, i need to keep this recipe for next CNY, running out of time..Beautiful photos !
Wishing you Gong Xi Fa Cai!Reply
- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:46 pm
Nasi Lemak Lover: Yes, this year CNY is too early. I’m running out of time too. Hehehe! Thanks for your compliment! Same to you and your family too! 😉
See AlsoEasy One-Bowl Oatmeal Cookies RecipeMake Your Own Coconut-Oil Deodorant (Recipe Included!) | Wake Up WorldBasic Chicken Stock RecipeTasty Total Comfort: Cozy Recipes with a Modern Touch: An Official Tasty CookbookHardcoverReply
- Ellena says:
18 January 2012 at 4:17 pm
Your peanut cookies look so inviting, especially the colours. Wishing you and your family a Happy Chinese New Year.
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:48 pm
Ellena: Thanks for your lovely comment! Same to you and your family! 😉
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- priscilla poh says:
18 January 2012 at 4:24 pm
Hi Lai Kuan
Wishing u and family “Blessed Lunar New Year”.
Love to try out ur peanut cookies recipe after Feb cos’ still busy with work. U are always so meticulous and detail in ur recipes write-up. Thank u for the unselfish sharing of all recipes and tips and advice.
BTW, I lost ur email due to computer crashed and I lost the entire data in my computer. Lost all the connections, that’s why u did not hear from me.
Blessings
Priscilla PohReply
- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:52 pm
Priscilla Poh: You’re so generous with words as always! Thanks a lot! Oh dear, sorry to hear about what happened to your computer. I will send you an email soon. Gong Xi Fatt Chai to you and your family! 😉
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:52 pm
Priya: Thanks for your sweet words! 😉
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- Alice says:
18 January 2012 at 11:07 pm
This recipe looks simple and easy to make! Might give it a try during the CNY holiday soon! 😀
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:53 pm
Alice: Yes, you said it all!! A must try recipe for your CNY! 😉
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- Migle says:
19 January 2012 at 4:04 pm
The cookies are just gorgeous! I will definitelly make them 🙂
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:53 pm
Migle: Thanks!! Happy trying!! 😉
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- peteformation says:
19 January 2012 at 4:34 pm
I used to help my mom make peanut cookies also…..but like you, I hardly eat them….lol!
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2012 at 11:56 pm
Peteformation: Hahaha! What a co-incidence!! But now thing had changed, I’m a great fan for these cookies! 😉
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- mycookinghut says:
20 January 2012 at 3:27 am
I love peanut cookies! It’s really festive! Man, I want to make some too..
新年快了！万事如意！龙年好运！Reply
- food-4tots says:See AlsoBasic Chicken Stock Recipe
20 January 2012 at 10:28 am
Lee Mei (MCH): Thanks! Same to you and your family! 😉
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- A Little Yumminess says:
20 January 2012 at 5:16 am
I love these little cookies. I remember eating a version of them when i was younger! Yum!
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- food-4tots says:
20 January 2012 at 10:29 am
A Little Yumminess: It’s super delicious!! Get your kids to make these cookies with you! Have fun with some ball rolling games with them! 😉
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- The Sudden Cook says:
20 January 2012 at 4:39 pm
Each cookie is so perfectly round and they each are identical in size! Well done! A Very Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year to you and your family!
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- food-4tots says:
23 January 2012 at 10:33 am
The Sudden Cook: I’m sure you can do it too! Same to you and your family! 😉
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- Quay Po Cooks says:
20 January 2012 at 7:28 pm
These peanut cookies is perfectly made. I love it. Happy Dragon Year to you and your family.
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- food-4tots says:
23 January 2012 at 10:36 am
Quay Po Cooks: Thanks! Same to you and your family! 😉
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- Nami | Just One Cookbook says:
27 January 2012 at 3:18 pm
Happy Chinese New Year! Gosh I missed a couple of your past posts. They all look like recipes from a cookbook! I live Chinese peanut cookies, and these look beautiful! I wish you have healthy and prosperous Dragon year!
p.s. Thanks for the like on my picture, which lead me to come back here.. =D
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- food-4tots says:
30 January 2012 at 12:29 am
Nami (JOC): Thanks for your continued support and wonderful compliment!! Happy Chinese New Year to you and your family too! 😉
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- Christine's Recipes says:
3 February 2012 at 3:16 pm
Beautiful peanut cookies! Every cookie is in perfect round. Good job.
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- food-4tots says:
5 February 2012 at 9:47 pm
Christine: Thanks for your wonderful compliment! 😉
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- Baking Scientist says:
10 January 2013 at 11:46 am
Your cookies look so wonderful! perfect shapes and lovely golden color 😀 I couldn’t resist but bake these this morning. It tastes wonderful! I will definitely bake these again! Thank you so much for the detailed recipe and method! 🙂
Do you have any tips on how to remove the peanut skins from the peanuts quickly? That took the longest for me in the entire baking process :p
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- food-4tots says:
14 January 2013 at 11:16 am
Baking Scientist: Thanks for your wonderful feedback!! Maybe you can refer to this link for the tip – http://happyhomemaker88.com/2008/09/25/how-to-remove-the-skins-of-roasted-peanuts-in-a-jiffy/. Hope it helps! 😉
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- Baking Scientist says:
18 January 2013 at 11:19 am
Haha thanks! I found a video on YouTube, in which someone was shaking the strainer outside his house (looks like he stays in a kampong house), it was really hilarious 😀 haha, but I felt dumb why I didn’t think about that earlier hehe 🙂
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- food-4tots says:
19 January 2013 at 11:43 pm
Baking Scientist: Maybe it’s not so messy. Hope this tip works for you. 😉
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- Cristina says:
22 January 2013 at 9:35 am
Hi there,
The peanut cookie recipe is fantastic. Everybody loves the cookie I baked.
Thank you
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- food-4tots says:
22 January 2013 at 7:54 pm
Cristina: Wow! I’m glad to know that!! Thanks a lot for your kind feedback! 🙂
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- Joanne says:
30 April 2013 at 3:41 am
Hi Dear,
The peanut cookie recipe is super great. I love it. By the way, do you have the recipe for the “caterpillar cookie”?Reply
- food-4tots says:
2 May 2013 at 9:39 am
Joanne: Thanks for the feedback! Sorry, I don’t have. It would be great if you could share one with me. 😉
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26 January 2014 at 9:52 pm
[…] The postal cost of the package was USD97. Suffice to say it was very, very expensive to send anything from Malaysia. I can’t remember a year since I’ve been in the US when I have not received a care package for Chinese New Year. So this year, I decided to make my own Peanut cookies so that I could do a side by side test with the ones from Penang. Here is the recipe that I used: (https://food-4tots.com/2012/01/17/peanut-cookies/2/). […]
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- food-4tots says:
11 October 2014 at 7:23 pm
Yogetha: Yes, you can. 🙂
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- Eleven says:
28 October 2014 at 12:25 pm
Hi,
I love the photos of yr peanut cookies and since I love peanut cookies, I tried making them myself. I was hoping to be able to eat them all year round rather than hv them only during CNY.
However, I am not able to get the color of the cookies to dark brown like yours. Mine is just light brown in color. I roasted my peanuts in the oven instead of dry fry. I roasted them for 40 mins at 180C..
Is the color of my cookie due to the different way of roasting the peanut? Otherwise, what can it be due to?
Thanks.
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- food-4tots says:
30 October 2014 at 10:11 pm
Eleven: Did you apply the egg wash on the cookies? 🙂
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- Eleven says:
31 October 2014 at 12:01 pm
Yes, I did. In any case the cookies turned out perfect. My hubby loved them. I will definitely do this for the upcoming CNY. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Btw, my name is Eleen. I typed wrongly earlier.
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- food-4tots says:
5 November 2014 at 11:00 pm
Eleen: It’s my pleasure to share. If you still find the colour of the cookies is too light, give them another layer of egg wash. Glad to know that this will be your upcoming CNY cookies. 🙂
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19 February 2015 at 1:23 am
[…] Chinese New Year Peanut Cookies – 花生饼 Adapted from http://www.atablefortwo.com.au and https://food-4tots.com […]
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23 March 2015 at 8:26 pm
[…] Adapted from foods-4tots […]
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Cristina 
Joanne 
Eleven 