The cookies my mother made required a special cutter that followed the kidney C-shape of
each cashew nut. If you cannot find a similar cutter, you could use an oval or rectangular
cutter, so long as it can accommodate the cashew half in the middle of each cookie.
makes 40 to 50 cookies
230 g or 8 ounces butter
170 g or 6 ounces castor sugar
3 egg yolks
1½ tablespoons evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
310 g or 11 ounces flour
115 g or 4 ounces cornflour
140 g or 5 ounces cashew
nuts, halved
egg wash
2 or 3 eggs, beaten
1. Mix the butter with castor sugar, egg yolks, evaporated
milk and vanilla essence by hand.
2. Add the flour and cornflour, and knead into a ball of
dough. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Thaw for 10 to 20 minutes before using.
3. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C or 300 degrees F.
4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
5. Flour a table surface and a rolling pin. Roll the dough
flat into a thickness of 0.5 cm or ¼ inch. Use a cutter to
shape out the cookies. Press a cashew half into the middle
of each cookie.
6. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet. Brush with
egg wash.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until light brown.
Let the cookies cool completely before storing in an
airtight container.
Peanut Cookies
makes 40 to 50 cookies
300 g or 10½ ounces butter
300 g or 10½ ounces castor sugar
300 g or 10½ ounces peanuts
(toasted and ground, even with
the skin on for colour variation)
450 g or 1 pound flour
egg wash
2 eggs, beaten
1. Cream butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the ground peanuts and incorporate into the
creamed butter.
2. Lastly, fold in the flour. Chill the dough in the refrigerator
for a few hours. Thaw for 10 to 20 minutes before using.
3. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C or 300 degrees F.
4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
5. Pinch and divide the dough into balls, each about
2.5 cm or 1 inch in diameter. Press each ball down flat
on the cookie sheet, about 1 cm or ½ inch in thickness.
6. Brush cookies with egg wash.
7. Bake in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes until golden
brown. Let the cookies cool completely before storing
in an airtight container.
98 Growing Up in a Nonya Kitchen ~ The Housewives Baking Club
