Welcome the Lunar New Year with Aunty’s homemade Smiling Sesame Cookie Balls! This recipe is so easy, you’ll get to enjoy delicately sweet and buttery cookies in no time. They’re fried until golden and crisp on the outside while moist and fluffy on the inside. The hardest part is stopping yourself from going for seconds!
For another festive treat, try Aunty’s Chinese Almond Cookies (杏仁餅) and Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Glutinous Rice Cake 年糕)!
Fun and festive cookies for the family
Aunty’s Smiling Sesame Cookie Balls are, without a doubt, one of the greatest Lunar New Year snacks ever. When they come straight out of the fryer and fill your kitchen with fragrant nutty aromas, that’s when the festive excitement really begins!
For such a simple dessert, it’s a wonderful gift and so easy to make. I know this for a fact because Aunty whipped up a batch at the last minute while teaching me FOUR other recipes! And yes, all four were made on the same day!
So with a few helping hands to make the process faster, you can have buttery, fluffy cookies enveloped in a golden crisp shell in no time. Watch as each one opens with its set of signature cracks, reminiscent of blossoming flowers.
They’ll be gorgeous to serve with any banquet!
Mum and Aunty also suggest to make them on New Year’s Eve so they can be offered as part of the praying ritual. For our family, this is always accompanied with Grandma’s Lo Han Jai (Buddha’s Delight 罗汉斋).
But really, these cookies are delicious to eat on any day, festive or not!
Why this recipe works
- Using low gluten flour helps to give the cookies a fluffy yet crisp texture.
- Controlling the temperature at a low-medium heat will help the cookies develop their signature cracked look.
- Adding butter adds a wonderful fragrance and rich taste.
What you’ll need
About the ingredients
This recipe uses low gluten flour for its texture. If you can’t find this, you can use cake flour as a substitute.
How to make this recipe
Mix the low gluten flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the cooled melted butter, egg and water. Pour the wet mixture into the dry bit by bit as you mix it through.
When well combined, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, knead the dough for 2 minutes or until it becomes smooth.
Note: This is a sticky dough, so don’t be alarmed if it sticks to your hands.
Dust your hands with some low gluten flour and scoop enough dough to roll into a 3cm (1.2″) ball. Repeat until everything has been rolled.
Note: Rolling 3cm (1.2″) sized portions will expand into 5cm (2″) balls. If you prefer it smaller, make them smaller.
As soon as one has been rolled, lightly dip part of its surface into the water and roll it again to spread the water around the ball. Put it straight into the bowl of sesame seeds and coat the entire surface.
Remove the ball from the seeds and roll it again in your hands to reform the shape. Set it aside as you work on the rest.
Bring a pot of oil to 120°C/250°F and fry the dough for 10 minutes or until golden, then scoop them out and let them sit on a plate lined with paper towels.
Serve immediately as is!
Recipe FAQs
It’s important to keep the oil temperature at a constant 120 °C/250°F. They will sink to the bottom at first before bubbling tiny bubbles. As they fry, they’ll start to float and crack to create that signature look.
This recipe uses baking powder and baking soda to rise and puff. Make sure to let the batter rest so the ingredients can begin to work. Also, the baking powder and soda need to be fresh.
You can, but the results won’t be quite the same. Taste-wise, they’ll be similar, however the shape will be much flatter and less cracked than the oil fried version.
Tips for the best results
- Work quickly. The butter in the cookies will make them deflate fairly fast, which will affect how they look when fried. Get another set of helping hands to make it more fun!
- Keep the sesame and water separate. Unless you’re dipping the dough into the water before the sesame, make sure your fingers are dry so the seeds don’t stick to your skin.
- Coat each rolled dough ball with enough water. This will help it cover each ball well because the seeds will stick better.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot. Each ball will expand as it fries, so cook about 4-5 at a time.
Delicious Lunar New Year dishes
- Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots – This is an appetizer that’s simple, easy to make and a great start to any banquet.
- Mei Cai Kou Rou (Steamed Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens 梅菜扣肉) – It may take a little bit of effort, but when the succulent pork belly comes out of the steamer, it’s all worth it!
- Four Cup Chicken (四杯雞) – Served whole, enjoy juicy chicken with your meal.
- Thịt Kho (Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly and Eggs in Coconut Water) – A signature Vietnamese New Year side dish, the meat is caramelized and braised until super tender.
- Bamboo Pith Soup (竹笙湯) – It’s a fantastic combination of springy and crunchy in this thick comforting soup.
- Fish Maw Soup – A great delicacy to ring in the festive season, drizzle it with some red vinegar to enjoy this wedding banquet classic!
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Smiling Sesame Cookie Balls (笑口棗)
Equipment
- plastic wrap
- plate lined with paper towels (for resting the cookies)
Ingredients
- 300 g / 0.66 lb low gluten flour
- 100 g / 0.22 lb sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
- 40 g / 0.09 lb melted butter (let it cool before use)
- 1 US cup sesame seeds (or enough to roll the cookies in)
- 100 mL / 0.4 US cup water (plus extra for dipping)
- cooking oil (enough for the cookies to be completely submerged)
Instructions
- Mix the low gluten flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cooled melted butter, egg and water.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry bit by bit as you mix it through.
- When well combined, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, knead the dough for 2 minutes or until it becomes smooth.Note: This is a sticky dough, so don't be alarmed if it sticks to your hands.
- Dust your hands with some low gluten flour and scoop enough dough to roll into a 3cm (1.2") ball. Repeat until everything has been rolled.Note: Rolling 3cm (1.2") sized portions will expand into 5cm (2") balls. If you prefer it smaller, make them smaller.
- As soon as one has been rolled, lightly dip part of its surface into the water and roll it again to spread the water around the ball. Put it straight into the bowl of sesame seeds and coat the entire surface.
- Remove the ball from the seeds and roll it again in your hands to reform the shape. Set it aside as you work on the rest.
- Bring a pot of oil to 120°C/250°F and fry the dough for 10 minutes or until golden, then scoop them out and let them sit on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve immediately as is!
Notes
- Work quickly. The butter in the cookies will make them deflate fairly fast, which will affect how they look when fried. Get another set of helping hands to make it more fun!
- Keep the sesame and water separate. Unless you're dipping the dough into the water before the sesame, make sure your fingers are dry so the seeds don't stick to your skin.
- Coat each rolled dough ball with enough water. This will help it cover each ball well because the seeds will stick better.
- Don't overcrowd the pot. Each ball will expand as it fries, so cook about 4-5 at a time.
- This recipe uses low gluten flour for its texture. If you can't find this, you can use cake flour as a substitute.
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