PUTU KACANG – ACEPAIZAH's KING OF RAYA COOKIES

What are cookies?  I am not talking about the http tracking cookies of the IT world. It’s about cookies that are baked until crisp or just long enough that they remain soft, but some are not baked at all. Cookies are made in a variety of styles, using an array of ingredients, the softness of the cookie depend on how long it is baked or let to dry. The cookie in almost all its forms has abandoned water as a medium for cohesion.

I love traditional Malay cookies. I am a traditionalist when it comes to Raya (Eid) cookies. I am not a fan of modern cookies which comes in all shape, size and color but tasted almost the same, contains the same ingredients, eggs, flour, and butter! My favorite Raya cookies is the famed Perak-ian (a state situated north of Kuala Lumpur city) Putu Kacang (Mung Beans Cookies). The main ingredients are the mung beans and sugar (lots of it) and very minimal water, just a few droplets to dampen the mixture.

My late mother, being a Perak-ian was known to make Putu Kacang for Raya. I missed the opportunity to master it much to my disappointment. Rumour has it that it is easy to make it. Dry roast the mung beans till it has a tinge of yellow then smashed or grind it to separate the membrane from the kernel, grind into fine flour, sieved it, mixed with fine sugar (our ancestors grind and sieve the sugar!) dampened it with very small droplets of water, press into the mould, usually made of wood and gently tap the Putu Kacang out and leaves it to dry under the sun. It is simple and easy to make but for the pressing it into the mould which your thumb will sore and sting. However if you are texting freak, the throbbing soreness that stung your thumb tenderness should be bearable.

Then, enjoy it one piece at a time with tea or coffee without sugar since it is very sweet. Putu Kacang should be very healthy cookies but for the amount of sugar in it. The Putu Kacang should just melts in your mouth.

 I have yet to master the art of making Putu Kacang and every Raya I am dying for the real Putu Kacang. There are many commercialized Putu Kacang which were baked instead of sun dried. However, the original home made Putu Kacang almost elude me year in year out. My BFF being a Perak-ian, and knowing my fanatic obsession of Putu Kacang, never fail to satisfy my Putu Kacang Raya desire. Thank you dear BFF for sourcing me Putu Kacang every year.

This year the Putu Kacang is a tad below par. Some of the Putu Kacang pieces were gummy which may be caused by too much of water or being exposed to the windy weather while being sun dried; but for its originality, it’s an 8 on Acepaizah scale.

{Putu Kacang's wooden mould}
 more than half a century old - courtesy of my BFF, her family heirloom}

~putu kacang melting kisses~

Acepaizah