[CNY 2014] New Year Snacks Part 2

Bought more CNY cookies and I seem to be particularly attracted to gula Melaka cookies this year.  The second batch of cookies that I bought for this CNY is from Cedele Depot, Artisan Handmade Cookies.  Although they are a little more expensive, I think it is worth it because the cookies are hand-made, do not contain artificial ingredients and there is no trans fats.

 

Gula Melaka Coconut - Love the nostalgic taste of gula Melaka and the declicious desiccated coconut.  The cookies are really crispy.

 

 

Pineapple Pocket Pie - This isn't my first time getting the pineapple pockets for CNY.  The pineapple pockets are for those who likes buttery pastry.  Cedele's version isn't too overpowering.  Soft and firm pastry filled with sweet & sourish pineapple jam.

Website: http://www.cedeledepot.com/

[CNY 2014] New Year Snacks

It is the time of the year again!  Lunar New Year comes faster this year, just within a month from the start of 2014.  I contemplated quite a bit what new year snacks to get this year.  Pineapple tart is a must but I have yet to find one which really excites me.  While shopping at Takashimaya CNY fair, I chanced upon 2 snacks from Rasa Sayang which are rather unique and tasty.  Their snacks are made in Indonesia.

 

 

The first is Oven Baked Purple Yam Chips.  It is oven baked and there isn't other added flavouring.  It is simply thinly sliced purple yam, sent into the oven.  Sounds healthy?  I think so.  It tasted so.  The only unhealthy bit is that some vegetable oil has been used during the baking process.

The second is Gula Melaka Kueh Bangkit (literally means fragrant cake).  Tasty kuah bangkit should crumble and melt in the mouth, not too floury, not too sweet and has a fragrant coconut taste.  It is actually quite labour intensive to make kueh bangkit.  The additional plus point to this particular kueh bangkit is the gula Melaka taste.  Double coconut happiness!

Ok, I have a week to continue my search for the perfect pineapple tart this year.  Send me recommendations!

Website : http://www.rsayang.com/

CNY 2012 - Pineapple Tarts from Bakery Hearts

What's your favourite pineapple tart for CNY 2012?  My pick for this year is Pineapple Tarts from Bakery Hearts.  $16 for a bottle.... the price is very reasonable, isn't it?  Furthermore, it is food for a good cause during this festive season!  Quality of the pineapple tart is actually quite good!  Not too sweet, not too jerlat.

Just what is Bakery Hearts?

Bakery Hearts is a project organised by The Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centres. It hopes to provide women from low-income families with numerous young children or have difficulties getting employment, the opportunity to supplement their household income. Through the project, the women are equipped with baking and social skills which prepares them to rejoin the workforce.

Bakery Hearts taps on community resources such as Teck Ghee Community Centre, CS CDC funding and volunteers to make it possible for these dedicated women to bake and for childminding to be arranged for their children.

Please support Bakery Hearts and give hope to the women who are working hard to provide a better life for their children and family.  Visit their FB page at https://www.facebook.com/bakeryhearts.amkfsc

Eggless Love Letter from Yes Natural

有蛋跟没蛋的蛋卷有差吗？答案是没有。。。Bought from Chinese New Year fest at Taka.  $12.80 per bottle with over 70 pieces.

Name of shop: Yes Natural (www.yesnatural.biz)

Lo Hei

It's the time of the year again... to Lo Hei!  捞啊。。。捞个风声水起啊！I've heard that the dish Yu Sheng originates from Singapore.  Yes, unbelieveable, right? 

What do you like best about the dish?  The shredded vegetable, the raw fish, or the crackers?  Me loves the crackers... love the crispiness and best of all, it is called 黄金满地 which can literally be translated into "land full of gold"!

I've just head my first Yu Sheng yesterday... certainly don't mind if there are more to come =)

Kim Joo Guan Bak Kwa

I did not know about this shop call Kim Joo Guan until a few days ago when I was shopping at Taka Atrium and sampling the new year goodies.  Besides Bee Cheng Hiang, the other bak Kwa shops aren't that agressive to set up stalls at CNY fairs. 

I was hoping to get some sample from this stall, but unfortunately, there was no sampling.  I was ignorant and did not know that this is the shop that supplies bak kwa to Lim Chee Guan.  Which Singapore does not know Lim Chee Guan?  They are always in the news for the long queue outside their shop at Chinatown during CNY season.  And so I thought "Wow... then Kim Joo Guan's bak kwa must be quite good".  My curousity was further aroused when a guy, who already bought 5 packets (1kg each) of bak kwa, asked if he could "tong bang" me.  This was because the stall has limited purchase of 5kg for each customer.  Each kg costs $45 now.  And I heard that the limit will be changed to 3kg per cutomers and $48/kg from 24 Jan... Pre-order of bak kwa has closed since 14 Jan =(

While I was still a little undecided, a large part of me was instigating me to buy a pack to try.  But I know 1kg was a little too much for me.  But the 1/2kg packs will only be available in the evenings at 5pm/6pm.  Well, for me to rush down just to get a 1/2 kg pack, and still run the risk of it being sold out by the time I am there, I thought it was quite a good deal.

The salesgirl was reminding that mine would be last 1kg pack left for the day (at 12noon)... out of kiasuism, I bought it...

Packaging was already done, in a nice gold colour box. And to think that I had bought something which I never sample and see (cos already pre-packed), I must be quite out of my mind.  It had better not disappoint me.

I did some surfing about Kim Joo Guan there after, and realised that Dr Leslie Tay has good reviews about their bak kwa.  I was a little relieve.  And first thing I did when I got home in the evening was to unpack and try it.

The nice fragrant was released from the packing and the nicely BBQ bak kwa looks very appetising.  Personally, I hate thick and hard bak kwas.  KJG's bak kwa wasn't that thick and quite tender.  It was sweet and juicy at the same time too.  I finished 1 piece within the next 15 minutes (and with much satisfaction).  Like it, like it, like it!  Haha!

CNY 2011 - Pineapple Tarts

What's your favourite CNY cookies?  I've placed order for pineapple tarts, chocolate chips and almond cookies at Joyus Pastries (located at Tanjong Pagar MRT xchange) and collecting it at end Jan.  The pineapple tarts is $19 per tub and for the rest of the cookies, they are priced at $11 per tub (CNY price). 

What are you planning to get for CNY 2011?  Do share...

Pineapple Tarts from Cedele

Decided to get pineapple tarts from Cedele this year in the name of healthy living.  CNY is the time to indulge in sinful cookies and goodies.  Any food that can make the indulgence less sinful is welcomed.

Priced at $18.80 per tub with approx. 36 pieces of pineapple tarts, each piece of pineapple tart costs abt $0.50.  Each piece for maybe half mouthful... isn't cheap.  But consider that the tarts do taste yummy (ie. buttery and not too sweet according to my standard) and a little for healthy (trans fat free, organic unrefined sugar), I think it is worth trying.  And better still for me because I managed to combine my purchase with my friend to make up 10 tubs of goodies, I got a 10% discount! Yay!

Other highly recommended CNY cookies include coffee cereal cookies, earl grey cookies and chocolate chip macademia cookies.

Pineapple Tart From Food Mapping

For the 3rd year in a row, I am getting Pineapple Tarts from Food Mapping. I was introduced to pineapple tarts by Alice (the baker) through my ex-colleague, who used to bring us samples of cookies from Alice.

The pineapple tarts are freshly baked at the stall located at

144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Beauty World Centre #04-25 (tel : 90686047).

They can barely meeting the demands from the customers... who keeps coming when I went there during lunch yesterday. I really wonder how these people know of Alice's pineapple tarts cos the stall is hardly prominent and the Beauty World Centre isn't really that accessible. Well, words gets around, I guess!

The pineapple tarts come in 'open' and 'close' tarts and I somehow feels that the 'close' ones taste better, when in fact, the ingredients are the same. It tastes a little less sweet than the 'open' ones and the crust that wraps the pineapple filling nicely. Butter tastes isn't too strong so no worries about the butter after taste in the mouth or lingering smell on the fingers.

Each pineapple is handmade, when the lines on the crust is carefully done using an equipment one by one.

Here's the stall. On non-CNY days, it is actually a dessert stall which specialises in agar agar. Yes, agar agar made into cakes etc.

As for CNY cookies, besides pineapple tarts, there are also almond cookies (highly recommended), cashew cookies, laksa cookies (something unusual), loveletters, prawn rolls etc. Most of the cookies are selling between $11 to $13. Upsized ones are going at $26.