For us
Chinese, Chinese New Year was something to anticipate and look forward to. The
preparations would commence months before the actual festival, which usually
falls in January or February. Worn out furniture would be replaced, new bed
linens and curtains procured, and walls would receive a fresh coat of paint.
As kids, we would be pampered with new clothes and
a haircut. There was another activity that I was especially eager to
participate in. In those days, most festive snacks were prepared by family,
friends, or neighbours. The cooks and their assistants would gather at a common
area; ingredients would be laid out and duties assigned. Every participant
seemed to know his or her role in some unspoken way.
Some peeled, others sliced, and the more experienced
would cook. There were no recipes and no instructions, yet everyone knew what
to do. The novices would help in the more menial tasks, and watch the others to
study the steps of preparation and cooking.
Festive snacks were not taken lightly. Each snack
had its own auspicious significance and even the sequence of cooking mattered. This
particular snack is known as “Smiling Dates” or
笑口枣. Traditionally, dough was rolled into a ball and
smothered in sesame seeds. During deep-frying, the ball would burst open and
resemble a smiling face.
It was believed that this snack would bring
happiness and smiles to the family for the next 12 months!
Smiling
Dates (笑口枣)
Sugar 60 g
Water 20 g
Cake flour 180
g
Custard
powder 10 g
Baking
soda 3 g
Bicarbonate
of soda ¼ tsp
Salt ¼ tsp
Egg
yolk 40
Butter 30 g,
room temperature
White
sesame ½ cup
Method:
1. Melt sugar in water. Set aside
and let it cool.
2. Mix flour, custard powder,
baking soda, bicarbonate of soda and salt, sieve well.
3. Mix all ingredients, except
white sesame, and form a dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
4. Roll dough into a long rod. Cut
into small pieces.
Take a small piece and roll
it into a ball. Dip in water and roll the ball onto the sesame seeds.
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