During this festive season, one certainly can’t do without tasty goodies! To get you in the mood for some good fortune and feasting, we have the perfect recipe for you.
Sometimes, it’s the little things that make life bigger and better. Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and this calls for reunion dinners, spring cleaning and the highly anticipated receiving of ang baos (red packets). Aside from this yearly affair that we are all too familiar with, bonding over delightful goodies is undeniably a tasty tradition. After all, ‘huat’ is a City of Good without goodies this festive season?
To help you get the ball rolling, we have whisked up the perfect festive goodie recipe for you to bake a sweet and meaningful CNY.
Step 1) Preheat oven to 100°C. Melt a willing heart in a saucepan over medium heat.
The perfect festive goodie tastes the best when you give your 100%. All you ‘knead’ is willingness and a tad bit of cheerfulness to make someone’s Chinese New Year a warm and happy one.
Step 2) Zest some passion and stir in two handfuls of smiles.
Bring a smile or two to home-bound seniors by volunteering as a befriender to lower feelings of isolation or engage them in creative activities to stimulate the body and mind.
Step 3) Gently whisk in gratitude, along with kindness and a warm hug.
One of the many traditions during this season is greeting our elders with words of blessings for the new year. Auspicious sayings like dà jí dà lì (great luck and profit), and lóng mǎ jīng shén (healthy and vigorous spirit of the aged) are widely used to wish the elders of the family longevity and a prosperous life. More than just greetings, take a moment to appreciate your family especially the seniors in your life by giving them a hug to let them know how much you love them or helping them out with chores around the home.
Step 4) Sift in Time and Treasure. Knead until the dough comes together.
There are some elderly folks in our community who have no family to spend the festive season with, all while battling chronic illness or disability. Help provide strength and stability to these seniors by sharing some of your red packets with them or spending time with the elderly who might be feeling down this CNY.
Step 5) Roll out the dough and cut out various shapes with a cookie cutter of choice. Place onto a baking tray.
Choose from various cookie cutter shapes which can come in the form of a word of encouragement, a heartfelt handwritten letter, or even a helping hand to someone in need.
Step 6) Bake them for fifteen minutes, and voilà! Allow to cool and decorate cookies with a side of compassion and patience.
“Kindness is having the ability to speak with love, listen with patience and act with compassion.” When age catches up, our vision deteriorates and hearing loss can make communication difficult. Show some empathy and understanding when visiting the elderly by responding with affection and assurance, providing visual cues for wayfinding.
Now it’s time to pass on the recipe and spread the joy of Giving!
Download the recipe card here.
