The lunar new year is a holiday when families can finally gather for up to a week! 🙂 This year, we decided to try something new and make some homemade treats. This spontaneous act of CAS involves creativity as we tested different recipes that were created on the spot. The homemade treat I made with my family is dubbed 雪Q餅, which translates into “snow biscuits.” It is similar to nougat candies with some small twists. The recipe is easy, and I recommend trying out different compositions to see which texture do you like the most.

ingredients.

1. butter 30g
2. marshmallow 150g (tiny ones)
3. a flavor of your choice (e.g. matcha, coffee, cocoa powder) 20g
4. dried berries (e.g. cranberries) 150g
5. mixed nuts/peanuts* 50g
6. crackers (unsalted) 150g

* = optional

cookware.

1. stir-fry pan
2. spatula
3. any metal rectangle container (e.g. pie tray)
4. rolling pin
5. knife

recipe. 

1. Prepare a stir-fry pan (best if it is made out of bronze to make sure an even distribution of heat).
2. Prepare a metal rectangle container and cut a piece of baking paper that is twice as big as the container of your choice. Make sure the baking paper can be folded inwards.
3. If your marshmallows have a normal size, cut them into smaller pieces.
4. Turn on low heat for the entire process. Add butter into the pan.
5. After the butter has melted, pour the marshmallows into the pan.
6. Add flavored powder if you would like to.
7. When the marshmallows have melted to an extent where the individual shapes are no longer defined, pour the dried berries and nuts into the mix. Stir the mixture.
8. Break the crackers into small pieces and add them into the mix. Stir and break up the crackers until the ingredients are evenly mixed.
9. While the mixture is still heated, pour it into the container in Step 2. Fold the baking paper inwards to cover the mixture. With a rolling pin, evenly roll out the mixture until flat.
10. Let the mixture sit until cool (around 20-30 mins). Keep the baking paper covered.
11. Once cooled, remove the baking paper and cut the content into the desired size.
12. Optional: wrap the freshly made biscuit as a holiday treat for your family and friends!

 

 

In the process, it was interesting to discover how different compositions would lead to slightly different products. The only composition I would not change is the mass of crackers used since they provide a solid base that hardens the biscuits. Without the crackers, the biscuit would often stick to the baking paper or be too soft to properly cut.