Happy 2012 Lunar Chinese New Year!!

Wishing everyone a Happy 2012 Lunar Chinese New Year!!!

2012 Chinese New Year Cookies

Since after a week of Christmas/ New Year break, I am back to the busy work routine.   With the Chinese New Year coming, I realized that I have over worked myself as I devoted so much time in baking New Year cookies during the Friday nights and weekends. Gosh!  I think I have not been having enough sleep since New Year, my conference calls normally ended midnight or past midnight and on the Friday night and weekends, I was busy trying to churn out as many cookies as possible, by the time I finished, it was already very late.   I'm glad that finally, I have finished all the bakings for the Chinese New Year and I could have an early rest tonight!

What did I bake this year? Some are my favorite old recipes, a couple are the new one.  I should let the pictures to do all the talking as I am too tired to write ...   Here you go..
  
(1) Cornflake Cookies - Old recipe, it's one of my favorite cookies, very yummy! Score 4.5/5.  

 (2) Peanut Cookies - New recipe adopted from 孟兆慶.  Good try but not to my liking. Score 3/5.

(3) Almond Cookies - Old recipe, my best favorite cookies.  Must try! Score 5/5.

(4) Pineapple Tarts -Old recipe, one of my favorite cookies.  Very yummy!  Score 4.5/5. 

(5) Peanut Butter Cookies - New recipe adopted from Come Dine with Leny with some modification, very tasty.  Score 4/5.

(6) Melt-in-mouth German Cookies - New recipe adopted from Small Small Baker. Not to my expectation but good try.  Score 3/5.

(7) Cashew Nut Cookies - New recipe adopted from My Kitchen Snippets, quite tasty but I still prefer my old recipe. Score 3.5/4.

I will post the new recipes soon.  Stay tuned.

Chocolate Nutty Cookies

New year new resolution?  

I find it quite pointless and silly to set New Year's resolution these days as I have never able to keep it.  For the past few years, I had been telling myself to do more exercise, eat less and keep trim but there was always a lot of excuses come up last minute... Am I very depressed lately?  It seems I am not enthusiastic with the new year coming ...

I think I must be too enjoying with my long break and refuse to face the reality - new year means my break is ending and I have to get back to work ... Sigh!  How nice if my work is one of my hobby!

A friend of mine retired lately and she is only in her mid 50s.  She was so sweet for writing us a greeting note and sharing with us her recent retired life.  The trigger of her retirement  thought was after seeing her friends in her age either passed away with cancer, heart attacked or killed themselves due to mental challenge. With the new technology nowadays, jobs have becoming very demanding and with long hours, she thought it's enough for her since she was living in such a hectic worklife for more than 30 years, she wanted to possess a quality life and spend more time with her family and friends. I do agree with her, life is short and unpredictable, it's important to treasure people around us and spend more quality time with each other. I do want to retire early, enjoy a more relaxed life before getting to senile as by then, physically or/ and mentally, we may not fit to do what we like to do ...

In fact, I'm surprised with quite a number of the colleagues around me decided to take a break after many years in the company, they are only in their late 30 or early 40. I really admire their courage and determination as I've been pondering this for so long but till now, I still can't figure out when I should take a break or retire ...  It's not an easy decision and need a lot of support from hubby as single income is not easy to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in Singapore, I must prepared to make a major adjustment before I am serious about it.  Guess I could only wait till both my daughters are financially independent ...
  

Enough said for retirement and hectic life, let's get back to baking. I came across this recipe from Min's blog and since she commended so good about it, I decided to bake it (with slight modification) for friends. It tastes like the lighter version of Famous Amos - less buttery and less chocolaty.

Ingredients (make 110-120 pieces):

• 250g butter  
• 180g brown sugar
• 90g caster sugar (can cut further, may be 60g)
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
• 360g pain flour                  } sift together
• 3 tsp baking powder        }
• 300g semi-sweet chocolate chip (can add more, may be 100g more)
• 200g walnut, chopped.

Method: 

1. Cream butter and sugar at high speed till fluffy and pale (about 4-5 mins).
2. Change to low speed, add egg one portion at a time, vanilla and then mix well. 
3. Add flour and baking powder one portion at a time, follow by chocolate chip and walnut.  Mix well.
4. Scoop a full teaspoon of dough and drop onto baking pan (lined with parchment paper).  Repeat the same and keep the drops an inch apart.
5. Bake in preheated oven@180*C for 15 mins or till golden brown.  
6. Transfer the cookies onto wire racks to cool before storing in an airtight container.

After note: found a "Famous Amos" recipe from this blog which claimed it's original. I'll definitely try it next time.

Since it's New Year now,  to all my friends and readers, may this new year brings wisdom and happiness to you all.  Happy 2012!!