Chinese New Year goodies

I don't know what has gotten over me this year. I've been baking non stop for Chinese New Year. I try new recipes every year and the pineapple tarts didn't turn out the way I like. I made two versions and they are both too crumbly, they fall apart before you even bite into them.

The 'almost famous amos choc chips cookies' is light and crispy, everyone says it is good. The kueh bangkit is extra fragrant cos I added gula melaka but the texture is very dry. YK loves the almond cookies which is surprising considering how much he dislikes nuts.

I used the egg whites left over from making pineapple tarts for almond crisps, sliced almond thins, and spicy roasted cashew and almond nuts. I'm still fretting over what to do with the other 7 egg whites from making kueh bangkit. I'm getting quite tired of baking now. Even the smell of cookies makes me feel fat.

While googling for recipes, I came across some interesting snacks that are so easy to make. Slice fresh lotus root thinly using a mandolin or knife. Deep fry the slices in vegetable oil until dry and crispy. These overcook easily, so remove them before they turn dark. They will continue to cook even when they're out of the hot oil. I sprinkled some Japanese sesame seed/seaweed flavouring over the cooked slices.

 Crispy crab is such a cinch to make. Simply tear crab sticks into thin strips and fry in hot oil. The strips cook really quickly and will turn crispy once they are cool. These are super addictive and go really well with cold beer. These deep fried stuff are really unhealthy, so do eat sparingly!