Dates for Chinese New Year (CNY) varies every year but it usually falls either in January or February.
The changes in dates is due to the festival being based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar which is associated with the movement of the moon.
The Chinese Lunar Calendar is also associated with the 12 animals zodiac.
Each year in the Chinese calendar is represented by one of twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac with every 12 years coming full circle.
We will be bidding farewell to the Year of the Rat and will be welcoming the Year of the Ox this year.
Food is one of the biggest parts of the CNY with the Chinese New Year eve reunion dinner being regarded as one of the most important during the 15-days celebration.
Besides having big meals, snacks are also essential to grace the tables during CNY.
Snacks such as pineapple tarts, love letters, and peanut cookies are a common feature during this festival.
These recent years, we see a hike in demand for speciality cookies in the shape of the animal zodiac that is being celebrated in that particular year.
Year of the Ox symbolizes strength and determination that is important during these uncertain times.
Hence, it is only apt that we welcome this year with these mighty cookies with crunchy almond bits that will make you grab for more!
It is super easy to make the base of this cookie. It does not require an electric mixer.
All we need it to just throw all ingredients into a bowl and mix it. The only part that requires extra effort is by adding the facial features so it will turn into an Ox.
Ox Almond Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup toasted almond nibs
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Combine flour and sugar into a bowl.
- Add the toasted almond nibs into the bowl and mix it well.
- Add some butter. Make sure the butter is at room temperature.
- Drizzle some vanilla extract.
- Knead the mixture until it forms a soft dough.
- Pinch out a small amount of dough.
- Add cocoa powder into that small amount of dough to make chocolate dough.
- Pinch out a smaller amount of dough.
- Add a little bit of red food colouring to make some red dough. I used beetroot puree for a natural food colouring option.
- Cover and refrigerate all 3-colours dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Take a small amount of cold dough and roll into a ball.
- Pinch out some dough for the ears.
- Use chocolate dough for the horns and pink dough for the nose (you may also use brown dough for this).
- Use a toothpick to poke holes for the nose.
- Place two black sesame seeds as the eyes.
- Add some chocolate dough spots randomly on the face.
- Repeat until you used up all dough.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 20 minutes.
- Let it cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.
Counting down to welcome the Year of the Ox, stay tuned for more recipes and DIY that can spice up your Chinese New Year Celebration (at home) this year.
Pssst, it’s okay. Even though this year’s celebration may be a little different compared to the previous year, cherish it while it lasts.
I bet it will enhance the relationship between all of us as we cannot celebrate it freely like before.
Meanwhile, watch this tutorial video on how to make these adorable Ox Almond Butter Chinese New Year cookies:
