Little Chicken Biscuit

This was initially my first post for MFF Perak.  I was all excited about it because it was finally showtime for my homestate.  Unfortunately disaster has to happen and I realized after completing my intended last post for MFF Perak, this first one had gone missing.  How terribly upsetting! Wonder any of you encountered problems if you were blogging on 23 Aug.    Whenever I opened a particular post that has been published in Edit mode, it overrides the post with the most current post that is in draft mode.   

So, this is a rewrite of that particular post minus all the excitement.  It's no fun trying to rewrite it, it just isn't going to be the same anymore. 

As far as I know, this biscuit was made popular by two Chinese bakeries, Pun Chun in Bidor and CB Red Label in Kampar.  Although its name says chicken biscuit, there's no chicken in it. Puzzling huh?  This is what I found out...based on the archives from New Straits Time back in October 4, 2001, as told by Mr Khong Wai Koh, the son of the creator of the biscuits for Pun Chun Restaurant, the late Mr Khong Yin Chiew.    Apparently there is a similar biscuit in China and it was called Siew Foong Paeng (Peacock Biscuit).  His father used the same name as well as a picture of the peacock for branding.  To his surprise, everyone called it the chicken biscuit instead, probably because they thought the peacock was a chicken.    The name stuck and was eventually used for branding instead :)

There are 2 variations for this biscuit one is thick and chewy and the other is thin and crispy.   I love both variations but kid loves the thin and crisp.  This recipe is for the thin and crisp one. They are very fragrant and be warned that they are kinda addictive, once you start you may end up munching until there's none left!

I am happy to have tried it in conjunction with the MFF event.

Recipe

Source : Sea Salt with Food who adapted from Flavours by Debbie Teoh

Ingredients

Part A

• 30g Fermented Red Bean Curd (nam yue)
• 1 Large Egg
• 50ml Milk
• 60ml Cooking Oil
• 1 tsp Sesame Oil
• ½ tsp Sea Salt
• 30g Confectioners Sugar (i used icing sugar)
• 30g Maltose

• 100 g Candied Melon (tung kwa), chopped
• 80 g Sesame Seeds

Part B

• 300 g All-Purpose Flour, sifted
• ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 2 tsp Five-Spice Powder
• ½ tsp Ground White Pepper
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp Ammonia Powder (omitted)

Method

1. Place ingredients from Part A into a large mixing bowl and stir to mix until salt dissolves. Add candied melon and sesame seeds.
2. Sift together the remaining ingredients from Part B and add to the bowl.
3. Mix to form a dough. Rest the dough, covered with cling film, for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 170˚C and grease baking trays. Divide the dough into 15g balls. Place the dough balls, well spaced out, between two plastic sheets. Roll out thinly into 7 cm discs with a rolling pin and place onto the trays.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until brown and crispy. Do not over bake, or it will taste bitter. Cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest Perak month hosted by 

WendyinKK of Table for Two....or more



And

Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY and hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out.