Chicken biscuits ( without the chicken )

Savory chicken biscuit

  

This week, my food evoked strong emotions in a couple of people.


It started with the premature demolition of the one and only pack of Sanshugong  chicken biscuit that we  bought from Malacca.  There was great regret that I had exercised self control during the Malacca shopping trip. The biscuits were gone all too soon; now all of us suffer from Chicken biscuit withdrawal syndromes.


Chicken biscuit and I went a long way. Though I never thought much of the  heavily spiced, chewy biscuit puff, my mum loved it and so it became a tribute  whenever I made pit stops at the little town of Air Hitam , on the way to Malacca. Those were the days before the Malaysian North South Highway.




Fast forward  a decade.


Chicken biscuit  has now been given an image upgrade and shaken off its dowdy red paper packaging. Swopping crispiness for chewiness , it now comes in  sleek individual packets with a super cute box that makes itself a collector's item. At least that was how my girl felt about it. 


To resolve the crisis of the inadequate biscuits, I attempted to bake some, calling on the spirit of Sanshugong. Although I had over processed the ingredients, reducing the dough to a very fine texture, girl2's music teachers perked up when they caught the waft of the spices.


It was the smell of their childhood and special treats. Needless to say, girl2 and the teachers had  extended  lessons because their topic of discussion went beyond that of music.


Adapted from belachan2.blogspot.com/2009/06/kai-chai-beng-chicken-biscuits.html


Makes a huge mountain of biscuits.


Dry ingredients :


150 g self rising flour
55  g powdered sugar
1/8   tsp. salt
1/4   tsp. white pepper
1/4   tsp. five spice powder
1/4  tsp. baking soda
1/4   tsp. chicken granules
1/4  Tbsp. minced garlic / garlic powder
40   g white sesame seeds
55  g  candied winter melon strips, finely processed.


Wet ingredients :
1/2  egg
1/2  Tbsp. honey
1 piece Nam Yee (red fermented bean curd), mashed
2 drops dark soy sauce
50ml. Canola oil


Method :
Preheat oven to 180 C


In a food processor, pulse all the dry ingredients , until winter melon is finely  chopped.


Whisk the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. Combine it to the contents in the  food processor and pulse again, until well combined . Stop when the dough  forms   a ball.


Get ready 2 pieces of parchment paper.
Roll the dough into a rope. Cut up dough to portions, about half the length of  thumb.


Roll cut dough into balls and flatten to a very thin disc, between the 2 pieces of  parchment.


Bake on a non stick pan for 10 minutes.


Cool thoroughly before storing in an air tight container.