Kueh Dahlia aka Daisy Biscuits

Didn't really bake a lot this week because of the horrible haze... Wasn't breathing well enough as I am asthmatic, but I realized that actually if I just sit down and do nothing, I feel more breathless and also restless.  So, even with a super heavy haze today, I got up of my chair and bake... In fact, when I make myself busy with baking, I feel better... So, if you are asthmatic, as long as your asthma does not attack you, you should not be just sitting there and do nothing, get yourself busy, and you will feel better...

My hubby was complaining there isn't any "snacks" for him to eat when he watches soccer at night... So I decided to bake something very simple and I believe not only he will eats, the kids will also finish it in no time..

Kueh Dahlia, or Daisy Biscuits are actually very popular during the Hari Raya, normally the Malays will either bake or order this cookies for the festival.. 

Before baking... Instead of using cherries, I used chocolate chips (I forgotten to get any cherries from the supermarket :p) 

Using the "pump" that I bought from JB, the pump is a challenge, coz the pump is small, and it is very stiff, I have to use my "bull strength" to pump each flower.. Hubby says I should buy a butter cookies presser next time for this cookies... Yah!!! I have a sponsor for that.... 

After baking... The texture is so soft yet crispy... It really melts in your mouth... I baked about 60 of it (the recipe is for 40, but I made smaller).. Before baking, I thought its enough for hubby 2 nights supplies for his soccer snacks, after baking, I realized it looks like very little,,, I told him I'm going to bake the second batch, but he says no need, its enough for him....

The moment I reached home, before the match, at 10pm... All gone.... Well......

Anyway, I'll bake again next week... More this time.....

Adopted the recipe from cornercafe.wordpress.com/

[Ingredients]

170g (6 oz) butter, softened

105g (3.75 oz) caster sugar, sifted

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

170g (6 oz) cake flour, sifted

85g (3 oz) custard powder, sifted

5 or more red glacé cherries

[Preparation]

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Have the butter very soft almost at the verge of melting but not melted; in winter cold weather, place butter in the microwave at its lowest setting and heat at 30 second-interval until the required consistency. Cut each glacé cherry into 8 tiny pieces.

2. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Lastly fold in flour and custard powder until a soft but stiff dough formed.

3. Transfer dough into a piping bag fitted with a 2cm star nozzle. Pipe out daisy shapes about 5cm wide each. Place a tiny cut cherry in the middle of each flower.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until firm; don’t let the biscuits brown too much.

5. Remove from oven and let cool before storing in airtight container.