Chinese cakes and cookies from the Cake Shop
Posted by the Bookshop
We're offering a glorious array of Chinese goodies at the Bookshop this evening. Here's our guide to what's what:
Cashew Cookies: Said to bring prosperity due to their resemblance to gold ingots, cashew cookies are traditionally eaten at Chinese New Year. They're buttery little bites that melt in your mouth.
Pandan Cake: That bright green cake? It's pandan - a favourite throughout China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. We can see why: it's a fantastically fluffy sponge delicately flavoured with pandan leaf and sweet coconut milk.
Pineapple Cake: Another traditional New Year's delicacy, these sweet pastries enclose a golden pineapple jam.
Black Sesame Snaps: Despite bearing a passing resemblance to tarmac, black sesame snaps are surprisingly delicious. They're sweetly nutty, with an addictive crunch.
Fortune Cookies: Our most controversial offering. Fortune cookies aren't actually Chinese at all: based on a Japanese sesame cookie, they were first made in the United States, and popularised in China as 'American cookies'. But they're ubiquitous in China Town, and we love them - who doesn't enjoy getting their fortune told?
We're serving this selection with our finest Gunpowder Supreme Green Tea - or a glass of wine, if you'd prefer.
