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Chinese Peanut Cookies
No Chinese New Year celebration is complete without Chinese peanut cookies. My family recipe uses peanuts, butter, all-purpose flour, and sugar; very simple ingredients with delicious peanut taste. Peanut and peanut butter lovers will definitely love these must have Chinese New Year peanut cookies.
It is a tradition in our family that every year for Chinese New Years we will have multiple cookies and even cakes prepared for relatives and friends to enjoy during house visits.
Our typical cookie list looks something like this: peanut cookies, nastar (pineapple tart cookies), almond cookies, hup toh soh (walnut cookies), kue bangkit, kastangel (cheese cookies), kue semprong (egg roll cookies), lidah kucing (langues de chat), and believe it or not, danish butter cookies (the one that comes in blue tin, LOL, never home made for this one).
As for cakes, the most common and must have would be lapis legit (thousand layers spice cake), accompanied by either a lapis surabaya or bika ambon, and something really out of place like a black forest cake or a tiramisu, yeah, we are weird.
Roasted peanuts, all-purpose flour, butter (or lard), and sugar
Out of all the cookies listed, I think peanut cookies are the most traditional and old fashioned of the bunch. But it is also one of the easiest to make :) If I am not mistaken, most families will have this recipe pat down to using a cup to measure the ingredients.
Mine looks something like a 3:3:1:1, that is 3 cups roasted peanuts, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup lard, and 1 cup powdered sugar.
I actually cheated a bit, and tweaked the recipe to use butter instead. I found that if I use butter, I need 3 sticks of butter (1 1/2 cup) instead of just 1 cup of lard to get the same texture in the cookie dough.
I would say that both versions are delicious, but the lard version is definitely the taste I grow up with. There is a slight difference in taste, but I cannot put my finger on it. One thing for sure though, if you are a peanut butter lover, this cookie is definitely for you!
Chinese New Year Cookie Party
As part of Chinese New Year celebration, me and a bunch of other food bloggers are working together to create a list of cookies recipe for the coming celebration. This year’s Chinese New Year Cookie Party is organized by Christine Leong of Vermilion Roots. Here are the recipes beside the one from yours truly:
- vegan cornflake cereal cookies - Vermilion Roots
- fried red bean puffs - The Missing Lokness
- chocolate almond cookies - Curious Nut
- tapioca cookies (kue bangkit) - What to Cook Today
- red bean and strawberry pinwheel cookies - Butter & Type
- pineapple jam tarts - Wok & Skillet
- sesame spiral pie cookies - Bams Kitchen
- cherry blossom cookies - Brunch-n-Bites
- mochi stuffed almond cookies - Miss Hangrypants
- melt-in-the-mouth Chinese gluten-free peanut cookies - Foodie Baker
- honey almond cookies - Hapa Nom Nom
- quinoa sesame brittle - Omnivore’s Cookbook
- browned butter Chinese walnut cookies - Yummy Workshop
- Macau almond cookies - Thirsty for Tea
- the ultimate pecan sandies - Created to Cook
And with that, I am wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year :)
Chinese Peanut Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cup (450 gram) roasted peanuts, grind (*)
- 3 cup (360 gram) all-purpose flour
- 3 stick (1 1/2 cup, or 340 gram) unsalted butter, melted (**)
- 1 cup (120 gram) powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine ground peanut, flour, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Slowly pour melted butter into the dry ingredients and mix until it become a smooth dough.
- Pinch a small amount of dough (about 10 gram, or a heaping teaspoon), roll into a ball and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all dough is used up.
- To make the indentation in the cookies, I use the cap of a ballpoint.
- Brush the top of the cookies with egg yolk.
- Preheat oven to 170 Celcius (340 Fahrenheit), bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool completely before storing.
Notes
- (*) To roast peanuts, preheat oven to to 180 Celcius (350 Fahrenheit), then spread the peanuts on a baking tray in one layer. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Then let the peanuts cooled completely before grinding.
- (**) Traditionally, 1 cup of lard is used instead of butter.
Comments
It's so interesting to read about the way other families celebrating Chinese New Year! It's so different! These peanut cookies look so simple to make and delicious. And now I'm so curious about thousand layers spice cake! Hope I can see its recipe on the blog in the future :)
Hi Maggie, the thousand layers cake is really popular in Indonesia. I believe it is also quite famous in Malaysia, though maybe not as commonly found as it is in Indonesia. It is actually a Dutch invention back from the colonial days, but nowadays, the cake is always served in all sort of celebrations, Chinese New Year included. I'll try to make one soon in the future and hopefully I can have the recipe posted a.s.a.p. :)
you mean kueh lapis?
Yup, it's kue lapis, though most Indonesian call it lapis legit. :)
It looks like we share the same Chinese New Year cookie list, Anita, although some names are different in Malaysia. We call semprong love letters. Peanut cookies are always a hit! :-)
Isn't that great? :) I am always fascinated that Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore share many similar food, especially among the Chinese! And indeed, peanut cookies are always a hit <3
Oh, the blue tin danish cookies! It is a must during CNY. We always receive a box or two as gifts from people who are visiting. All the cookies sound delicious at your home. And these peanut cookies? Looks soooo good! Love how easy it is too!
Haha, it is a very weird thing when I stop to think about how those blue tin danish cookies become a CNY tradition. But, they are here to stay, and indeed they are very popular as gifts.
How do you grind the peanuts at home? Will peanut butter make a good sub?
Hi Cee, I use my food processor to grind them. I have never tried using peanut butter before, but the end state of my ground peanut is still much chunkier compared to peanut butter.
Hi Anita! I love your website! What kind of peanuts do you use? Is it the big ones with a red/brown skin? Or is it the small ones often used as a snack by Chinese (comes in a bag, unpeeled, sometimes garlic flavoured)? Thanks for your recipe!
Hi YY, I use raw shelled peanuts that come in big bag in supermarket, I think in 1 kg bag if I am not mistaken.
These look so good Anita ! Peanut butter cookies are my must-have for CNY too. It's just not the same without them, at least in our house !!
I totally get what you mean Marvellina :) Chinese New Year is not the same without these :)
I need a cookie for both hand for sure. Your peanut cookies look delectable and are sure to be a family favourite this year. Wishing you and your family a very safe and happy CNY!
Out of all the bottles of cookies on any person's coffee table I'd visit for CNY, I'd always seek out the peanut cookies and start finishing them on their behalf. It's just the best really! :p
I am most certainly a peanut lover - and these little gems look so perfectly pop-able! Definitely a must-make for CNY!
How many grams is 3 cups of all purpose flour?
Hi Shoby, it should be around 3 x 125 gram = 375 gram.
Hi Anita! CNY is just around the corner and I would like to try this recipe. May I know if the peanuts you use are with or without the thin papery skin (not the outer shell)?
Hi Isabel, I use the ones without skin :)
Thanks for replying! :)
Hi! I'm going to attempt this recipe on the weekend. Just wondering, when you say 3 cups of peanuts is it the measurement before or after grinding it? How much would that be in gram?
Hi Lin, it is before grinding them. Per cup is around 150 gram.
Hi Anita, saya tunggu resep lidah kucing dan kastangel, :)
Okay Melisa :)
Hey Anita. I do not have a mixer at home to grind the peanut, but there are Ground Peanut flour that I could purchase. Do you know how much of the flour I should use? Have you tried using the ground peanut flour before?
Hi Jolene. I have not tried baking these with ground peanut flour before. I am sorry I cannot help.
I love family traditions especially when it comes to food. Such a delicious tradition and recipe to share.
Such yummy peanut cookies! I'm saving the recipe to make it for Christmas!
These cookies are perfect for Christmas too. :)
I remember getting these at an Asian market. They are so delicious. The perfect addition to the holiday treat tray.
They usually appear around the Chinese New Year, which usually means they should start appearing in stores soon. But I still prefer baking my own cookies, both to honor family tradition and because nothing beats home-baked cookies. :)
I love simple from-scratch recipes like this!
What a wonderful recipe. I love trying new recipes so putting these on my to do list!
My son loves peanuts so I am totally going to make a batch of these for him. These look so delicious!
These will be a great hit with peanut butter lovers. Your son will definitely love these. :)
What a magnificent, simple and so very good recipe for these Chinese Peanut Cookies. They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
What an interesting and different looking dessert , full of my favorite flavors! Can't wait to try it!
YES! These are my FAVOURITE for the new year! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
I love how family traditions stick and it doesn't matter how weird they can be, you always enjoy them. What a brilliant way to celebrate The Chinese New Year. The peanut cookies sound amazing too, and so easy to make. Such a nice idea for sharing out and very tasty too.
Wow! These cookies were amazing! So full of flavor, they satisfied my peanut cravings for sure. Will make again. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi, i have Bought grinded peanut. What is the amount to use?
Hi Jacqueline, please use weight measurement, which is 450 grams (1 lb). I'm sure the volume will not stay 3 cups since you are using ground peanut, but the weight should be the same.
hi anita, does 1cup of lard taste better?
Hi Frank, lard should make the cookies taste better, especially if you are used to the old school taste of Chinese cookies. :)
Hello Anita, On the butter, is there a preferance to use either salted or unsalted butter? Many thanks.
Hi Christina, I usually buy unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, you may want to omit the salt unless you prefer more savory cookies. :)
Hi Anita, I was wondering if you have tried using peanut oil instead of butter on the peanut cookies. I saw other similar recipes and most of them uses oil instead of butter. I am just curious as why you prefer butter than the oil. I haven't tried the recipes yet as I am preparing my grocery lists for other cookie recipes as well and will start baking this weekend.
Hi Christina, you can use oil too instead of butter, and the best would be to use peanut oil. Butter gives the cookies milky/creamy taste, which I love. If you want to replicate the butter taste when you bake the cookies with oil, you can try using 330 gram all-purpose flour + 30 gram milk powder instead of 360 gram all-purpose flour.
Hi Anita, I tried both recipes and they're both yummy! My husband and I love both textures and can't really decide which we like best! 😅 The cookies with oil melts in your mouth while the butter gives the creamy taste. Each has its own savory taste. I am making more now to send to my Msian friends here in the States, maybe they can tell me which they like!
Hi Anita, can I ask if powdered sugar in this recipe means icing sugar? Many thanks!
Hi Huey, yes they are the same. :)
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