Sharon Wong Shares Her Favourite Recipes

Our founder, Sharon Wong, shares her favourite Chinese New Year recipes that she’s cultivated since her time in Portland, Oregon.

You may know her as Sharon Wong, the founder of Singapore’s longest-running baby retail store Motherswork, but did you know that the mother of three is a talented baker? Back in 2001-2009, when the family was based in Portland, Oregon, Sharon started baking for Chinese New Year, since none of the traditional recipes were available there. The first CNY recipe she learnt was lobak cake or carrot cake.

To celebrate Chinese New Year, and also to remind her three children of their Chinese culture, Sharon and her family would invite friends and have CNY parties. In fact, by the time they left Portland, the Wongs’ CNY parties had become an annual event. Fast forward to 11 years later, Sharon regularly bakes to improve as well as to destress. Here are her top five favourite recipes.

Giant Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie

Ingredients:

170g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup sweetened, dried cranberries
1/2 cup rolled or old fashioned oats
1/2 cup pecan pieces, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted
3 1/2 oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped.

Method:

1. First, preheat the oven to 165°C.
2. Next, beat the butter, granulated and brown sugar until light and fluffy, which should take about two minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment. Make sure to scrape down the sides.
3. Now, add eggs, corn syrup and vanilla and mix for one minute.
4. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix in half of the all purpose flour. Mix for one minute, scraping down the sides.
5. After this, add in the other half of the flour.
6. Next, sprinkle in the cake flour, baking soda and salt and beat.
7. With a spatula, stir in cranberries, oats, pecans, coconut and white chocolate.
8. Using 1/4 cup of dough, make disks with a diameter of about 2 inches or 5 cm. This should roughly be about one ice cream scooper full. Do flatten the top. They should be about 1/2 inch thick. Leave spaces of about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined tray.
9. Bake 15 to 16 minutes till golden brown, and then remove from oven. Leave 8-10 minutes on baking sheets before transferring them.

Walnut Tarts

Ingredients:

85g cream cheese
1 cup flour
115g butter
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Mix the first three ingredients in your mixer to make the dough. Pat into a round disc. Wrap with saran wrap and refrigerate until needed.
2. Toast the walnuts in batches and cool. Use a Cuisinart to chop until fine or use a blender.
3. Mix the eggs, brown sugar and blended walnuts, and keep aside.
4. Now, roll out the dough and fill the mini muffin pans. Add about one teaspoon of filling in each shell. Bake at 375°F (191°C) for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan while hot.
5. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Recipe makes about 48 tarts. An alternative is to use pecans. All the steps are exactly the same, except you might have to bake it at 370°F (188°C) at 13 minutes or 375°F for 15 minutes depending on the pan you use.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Dry Ingredients

2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
227g butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
340g semi-sweet chocolate

Optional Ingredients

100g cacao nibs
1 cup nuts

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C
2. Mix the dry ingredients together.
3. Beat butter and sugar together.
4. Next, add eggs and vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients.
5. Now, add chocolate, cacao nibs and nuts, if using.
6. Bake at 375°F for 11 minutes, then remove from the oven.
7. Let cool for five minutes and then store as soon as cool.

Chex Mix

Ingredients

17 oz Chex Mix (Kelloggs Crispix Cereal)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce
10 pieces plain seaweed, cut into strips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 120°C.
2. Bring the butter, vegetable oil, corn syrup and soy sauce to a boil to melt the sugar.
3. Mix all the ingredients and bake into a single layer.
4. After 10 minutes, remove from oven and stir. Repeat five times, then add seaweed. After an hour is up, remove the tray from the oven, and add seaweed, then stir.
5. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and let it cool. Store in an airtight container.

Madeleines

Ingredients

140g unsalted butter
50g ground almonds
4 egg whites
50g all purpose flour
140g castor sugar
2 teaspoons matcha powder

Method:

1. Warm butter until burnt.
2. Sieve butter.
3. Combine ground almonds, sugar and 1/2 of the egg whites. Whisk and add the remaining egg whites.
4. Whisk flour and matcha powder.
5. Add to almond batter, followed by adding butter.
6. Stir until mixture is smooth.
7. Divide the batter into two piping bags and refrigerate overnight.
8. When ready to bake, brush the madeleine pans with butter and dust with flour.
9. Preheat the oven to 165°C.
10. Next, pipe batter into pan and bake for 15 min.
11. Cool on rack and dust with icing sugar.

Need last minute CNY preparation ideas? We’ve got outfits, floral decorations and easy crafts. Kids can brush up on their auspicious phrases and learn the steps for yusheng. Otherwise just read about our favourite mums’ traditions and see what’s in store for you in 2020 according to your zodiac.