by Athirah Sofea

In the blink of an eye, Ramadhan is coming to an end, and this could only mean one thing – Eid al-Fitr or Hari Raya Aidilfitri is just around the corner! Its a time of forgiveness, joy, love, and of course, delicious food! Besides the customary feasts of festive dishes such as ketupat, kuah kacang, lemang, and rendang, you can also look forward to indulging delectable Hari Raya cookies.

Rather than taking the easy option of grabbing off-the-shelf cookies, why not try your hand at these recipes?  

If you love peanuts, you will love this recipe! Even if you are not a big fan of peanuts, you would still love Biskut Kacang Mazola, well, unless you have a nut allergy. Biskut Kacang Mazola is one of the “stars” for Hari Raya, they are simply little balls of peanut goodness that will melt in your mouth.  

Ingredients:  

1. 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted 
2. ½ cup icing sugar, sifted
3. 2 cups groundnuts, roasted and then grinded
4. 1 cup corn oil

For Finishing: 

1. 1 egg yolk 
2. Half groundnuts, remove seed coat

Steps: 

1. Add the sifted all-purpose flour and icing sugar into a mixing bowl.
2. Blend the groundnuts. Once blended, add to the flour mixture and mix well. 
3. Add corn oil into the mixture bit by bit and knead using your hand until you get a soft and non-sticky dough.
   *You may or may not require using 1 cup of oil.
4. Use a teaspoon measuring spoon when taking the dough to make sure you get the same size.
5. Roll it to form a ball-shape and arrange it on a baking tray.
6. Set aside half groundnuts and gently press a piece of half groundnut on top of the dough. Beat the egg yolk and use a brush to wash over the top.
7. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 160°C, then put the cookies in for 25 to 30 minutes or until it’s baked – some cracks on the cookies are normal. 

This traditional Malay cookie is another must-have during the Hari Raya season. Biskut Semperit Dahlia is the Malaysian version of a butter cookie and is typically shaped into a dahlia flower pattern with a cherry piece pressed into the centre. If you’re a huge fan of butter cookies, you’ll know that the best kinds are the ones that melt in your mouth.  

Ingredients: 

1. 250g margarine or butter
2. ½ cup caster sugar
3. 1 egg yolk, large
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 
5. 1 cup custard flour
6. 1 cup corn flour
7. 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
   *You are not required to use all, this is to ensure a soft non-sticky dough
8. Red chelory cherries, for finishing

Baking Tools: 

1. Closed star nozzle
   

Steps: 

1. Put the margarine or butter out in room temperature 15 minutes before and dice it.
2. Add the caster sugar, margarine or butter, vanilla essence, and egg yolk in and mix well, be sure not to overmix.
3. Once you have mixed the ingredients, add corn flour and custard flour in.
4. Add all-purpose flour bit by bit until you get a soft and non-sticky dough.
   *You probably won’t need to use all of the all-purpose flour. Set aside the remaining flour if not used.
5. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
6. Once you have let it rest, take a small amount and keep the remaining dough covered to avoid the dough from becoming hard.
7. Use a closed star nozzle, put the mixture into the nozzle and press using your fingers onto the tray.
8. Press the red chelory cherries into the centre and let it rest for about 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.
9. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 160 to 170°C.
10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on your oven. 

 There are two different names for this cookie, Biskut Suji Kristal and Biskut Arab Kristal. They’re essentially the same, and even though we call it Biskut Suji, it does not contain any suji. And for those who don’t know, suji is granulated wheat, better known as semolina. This Malaysian delicacy is made with ghee, flour, ground almond, sugar-coating and food colouring to achieve that marble effect. These cookies have a soft texture that will surely melt in your mouth and are coated with sugar for a little sweetness. An absolute crowd-pleaser! 

Ingredients 

1. 250g ghee
2. 110g icing sugar
3. ½ tsp salt
4. 50g ground almond, toasted
5. 125g corn flour
6. 300g all-purpose flour 
7. Food colouring – pink, green, yellow
8. Baking cups
9. Caster sugar, to coat the biscuit

Steps: 

1. Sift the all-purpose flour together with the corn flour and set aside.
2. Combine ground almond, icing sugar and salt. Mix well.
3. Add ghee into the mixture. Using a spoon, mix until combined.
4. Add the sifted flour and knead until well combined. If it is still soft, add all-purpose flour bit by bit until it’s easy to mold the dough.
5. Divide the dough into 3 and add the food colouring.
6. Make a ball-like shape about 7 – 8 grams and arrange it on the baking tray.
7. Preheat the oven at 170°C and bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s baked.
8. Once baked, let it cool and mix them with caster sugar and arrange them in baking cups.
9. When the biscuits are completely cool, put them in an airtight container.
   *You can get about hundred pieces of the Biskut Suji/Arab Kristal. 

End your festive feast on a sweet note with these Raya treats, and it couldn’t be any better if they are homemade with love. So, gather your loved ones, share some good food, and let the joy of the festive season fill your hearts.  

Eid Mubarak and Selamat Hari Raya to those celebrating! 😊 

Source:  

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