Rice cookies (not Kueh Bangkit - recipe tried but didn't work. See Linda's Kueh Bangkit below. - ed.)

Symbolism also comes in the shape of flower and animal motifs - such as goldfish (prosperity), butterflies (afterlife), peonies (faith) and chrysanthemums (fortune). These rice flour cookies are sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds that symbolise numerous progeny. Kueh bangkit are typical of the evolution of the cultural osmosis from mainland China to overseas Peranakan communities; their origin being rice cakes baked in the shape of currency as an altar table offering for the departed to spend in their next life. .

650 g sago or tapioca flour
6 large pandan leaves
350 ml coconut milk
200 g sugar
2 egg yolks
1 egg white
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten lightly (for brushing)
Sesame seeds

Take 2 pandan leaves and cut up into 2 cm pieces. Dry-fry sago flour in wok (preferably non-stick) with the cut-up pandan for about 10 minutes over a low flame until very dry. Remove to cool. This removes most of the moisture and renders the flour light-as-air.

Put sugar, coconut milk and remaining pandan leaves to simmer over medium heat. Do not overboil or the milk will turn oily. Remove from heat once sugar is melted and allow to cool completely.

Beat 2 egg yolks and 1 egg white till frothy and add to cooled coconut milk. Beat lightly for 3 minutes and sift flour in with baking power. Knead into a soft, pliable dough with floured hands. Add a little more flour if mixture is too soft.

Roll out dough to about 1 cm thickness. Use cookie cutters or traditional bangkit cutters, usually paisley-shaped or as stylised flowers, and punch out the shapes. Dust a baking tray with a little sago flour and place bangkit in this, without touching each other.

Brush with a little beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds on each bangkit. Bake in a pre-heated oven (gas mark 4, or 200 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes until light brown. Cool and store in air-tight containers. They keep for up to a month.

Linda's Kueh Bangkit
Contributed by Linda Yap

1000 gms Tapioca Flour
4 Eggs Yolk
350 gms Fine Sugar
2 1/2 Grated Coconut
2 tsp Vanilla Essence
Methods

Dry-fry tapioca flour over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Then lower heat and continue frying for another 2 minutes.

Beat egg yolks and sugar till dissolved.

Squeeze grated coconut with muslin cloth to obtain coconut milk. Boil coconut milk with 2 tablespoons sugar taken from the quantity stated in the above for 3 minutes.

Leave the boiled coconut milk to cool. The (recipe incomplete)