Bangkit means feast, salju means snow — both names apply. These are normally served at feasts or festivals; salju, or snow, because they’re normally white, but recently I saw a local YouTube channel and was drawn to these pretty colours.
These melt-in-the-mouth, light, airy cookies are a must-try, and very popular here in Indonesia. Their origin is from Malaysia and some parts of Indonesia. Ramadan is a very popular time for these cookies — biscuits, or kue kering, are a constant in Indonesian culture, and hampers of prettily packed biscuits are a sight to see.
Back to the recipe: these biscuits are gluten-free and very light. While baking, once slightly golden on the bottom and very light to hold, remove and cool. Baking time is 30 to 40 minutes, depending on your oven. As you take your first bite, you’ll notice the powdery texture, then the smoothness, then the sweetness — a uniquely textured biscuit. Happy Ramadan.
Ingredients
- 500 gms tapioca flour
- 90 gms margarine
- 150 gms powdered sugar
- 4 pandan leaves (optional, but they give a very subtle flavour)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence or ¼ tsp vanilla powder
- 40 gms milk powder
- 100 ml coconut milk (I used a tetra pack) — add a few drops of food colouring and mix
Method
- Take a wok or frying pan, add the tapioca flour and chopped pandan leaves. Sauté this flour on low heat till it’s really hot and feels lighter — at this point the pandan leaves should be crisp and easy to snap. Cool the tapioca flour completely, then sift to remove any lumps. Cool.
- In a mixing bowl, add the margarine and sifted sugar. Mix with a spatula until it’s a smooth paste, then add the milk powder and fold once more.
- Add the sifted tapioca in batches, alternating with the coconut milk.
- Go in with your hands and mix with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs — this will be a dry mix, not moist.
- Take a mold, add the mix and press in, scraping off the excess. Remove gently onto a baking mat or tray.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at a very low setting — I used 150°C.
This kue, or biscuit, is very different in taste — powdery, melt-in-your-mouth, and yummy. Very popular during Ramadan. A must try 😊
