Red Bean Cookies - Grandma's Legendary Recipe

My (mysterious) Grandma made red bean cookies that were practically legendary in my family. Unfortunately I was not blessed with the opportunity to savour the real deal, but Abang Fauzi definitely remembers watching her make the cookies, and among my siblings I think he loved them the most.

The pastry for Nenek’s red bean cookies is conceptually similar to tau sah piah or Tambun biscuits, the famous Penang delicacy. The difference is in the filling. While tau sah piah is filled with a savory-sweet mung bean paste, Nenek’s version uses red beans with a splash of rose essence. I recently discovered that Nenek’s version is apparently the same as Medan’s version of tau sah piah.

When I was small I remembered Abang Fauzi trying his hand at making them, based on the recipe he learned from Makcik Nang, our aunt. Those were indeed fond memories. I remember helping out with the dough, and arranging the freshly baked cookies in a large Nespray tin. One thing I remembered very clearly was that they were delicious, but because of their moistness, they are at risk of getting moldy if kept for too long. Not that they ever last that long anyway.

Over the years I sampled batches of these cookies made by different aunts, my Grandma’s daughters and daughters-in-law. I thought they were all pretty good, some better than others, but to those who have experienced Nenek’s cookies, the response was the same. They were simply not as good as Nenek’s.

Abang Fauzi and my aunts also agreed on one more point. Making them is really an arduous task.

Now that I’ve grown up and have gained some considerable experience in baking and cooking, I’ve decided to undertake the Herculean task of reproducing Nenek’s legendary red bean cookies. I asked for the recipe from Makcik Nang as a starting point, and also did my own research, referring to highly rated videos like this and this on making Tau Sar Piah to make sure I got the technique right. I also spoke at length with Abang Fauzi on the subject, who recalled the texture of Nenek’s Water Dough being so soft yet elastic.

One more important thing. Nenek was very particular about the butter she used for these cookies. Makcik Nang mentioned that she used Iceberg canned butter, which I think no longer exists (yes, I even Googled butter brands from days of yore), so the next best thing to use was Golden Churn.

Golden Churn butter is locally famous for being the best butter there is for bakers. It comes in two forms – canned and block – and let’s not even bother asking which one is superior. I asked this question to the lady at Bake With Yen, and even before I could even finish asking she exclaimed emphatically, “Oiiiii tak samaaaaa… yang dalam tin lagi wangiiii,” (“Definitely not the same, the canned ones are more fragrant.”) So that’s that.

With all this in mind, off I went to unravel the mysteries of Nenek’s kuih kacang.

I wanted to achieve a very flaky, soft texture, so I researched on the various techniques to achieve this. First was the flour. Pastry flour would be best for the job, producing lighter, more tender pastries compared to plain flour due to its lower protein content (9%). Cake flour produces an even lighter, melt-in-your mouth texture, but on its own it lacks strength and may crumble very easily. By using the pastry flour for the Water Dough and cake flour for the Oil Dough, and then encasing the Oil Dough with the Water Dough, you get the best of both worlds. The Water Dough pastry will provide a light but strong container around layers of melt-in-your-mouth, buttery Oil Dough pastry.

I couldn’t find “pastry flour” anywhere in KL, so I subsituted this by mixing equal parts plain flour (11% protein content) and cake flour (7-8%). Then I realized that here they are also called biscuit flour, found at Bake With Yen and similar stores. This makes it so much easier.

The second was the technique. Two main things here; the Water Dough should be kneaded a bit to create a smooth, soft and slightly elastic dough, while the Oil Dough should be minimally handled until it just comes together. When you get the texture of the Water Dough right, it is absolutely a breeze to encase the Oil Dough with it and sealing it in.

My first try making these cookies, I messed up the water ratio for the Water Dough, and it got really wet. I salvaged it as best as I could by adding more flour, but this resulted in the cookies turning out a little hard. I also divided the dough very roughly so the cookies were of uneven size, and some came out slightly undercooked. Regardless, we felt the flavor was good (Abang Fauzi, Kak’mbang and Mummy were the most reliable food tasters), so then it came down to getting the texture right.

My second attempt went so much more smoothly. Here are the refinements I made:

Observation is absolutely key when putting together the two doughs; you know you’ve achieved the right balance of ingredients when everything comes together nicely and no longer sticks to the bowl.
I took the time to accurately divide the filling and the dough using a digital kitchen scale.
I baked the cookies on a greased silicone baking sheet instead of in cupcake cups. Makcik Nang says that cupcake cups interfere with the even baking of the cookies. Silicone baking sheets are absolutely amazing; cookies easily slide off them, and they are reusable hundreds of times. A practical, eco-friendly solution I wished I discovered much sooner!
I baked the cookies 10 minutes longer than the first time, to make sure none of them were undercooked.

I also had help with assembling the cookies. These things are super labor intensive, people; consider getting a few extra pairs of hands if available. It makes for a lovely bonding activity as well, and Mummy and I had a great time chatting while working on the cookies.

The results were wonderful. The red bean cookies turned out beautifully, tender and flaky and were absolutely addictive. Abang Fauzi and a few of my aunts and uncles sampled them, and thought my version was just like Nenek’s. So honored to finally be able to crack the code and carry on Nenek’s legacy.

Grandma’s Red Bean Cookies

Ingredients

680 grams red bean paste OR 1/2 recipe of Inti Kacang Nenek
360 grams pastry/biscuit flour OR equal parts plain flour and cake flour
1 (340-gram) can Golden Churn butter, or any preferred brand of salted butter
4 teaspoons rose essence
90 ml (3/8 cup) water
240 grams cake flour OR 180 grams all-purpose flour plus 60 grams cornstarch
1 egg, beaten, for glaze

Directions

First, prepare the filling. Divide the filling into two (or three, if making 96 cookies) equal parts.

Working on one portion at a time, divide into 32 equal sized pieces, and shape into tiny balls. You should end up with 96 (or 64) pieces of filling.

Arrange the red bean balls in a container and store, covered, until ready to assemble the cookies.

Next, we move to the pastry. If not using pastry flour, in a large bowl, add 180 grams plain flour and 180 grams cake flour and whisk to combine.

Make the Water Dough. In a large mixing bowl, add the pastry flour OR the flour mixture. Add 170 grams butter, and 2 teaspoons of the rose essence.

Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour, until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the water into the mixture, a little at a time…

…combining the ingredients with your fingers until a smooth dough forms which no longer sticks to the bowl.

Turn the dough onto a clean surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth.

Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Knead for another 3 minutes, then cover and let rest again, 1 hour. The dough should be elastic.

While the Water Dough rests, make the Oil Dough. In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining butter and 2 teaspoons of the rose essence.

Add 240 grams of cake flour, working the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles small peas.

Keep working the mixture with your fingers until the dough just comes together and no longer sticks to the bowl, being careful to not overmix. Sprinkle additional flour if need be if the dough is too sticky.

Roll the Oil Dough into a log and divide into 32 equal-sized pieces.

Shape each piece into balls.

Divide the Water Dough into 32 equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into balls.

Working with one piece of dough at a time, take a piece of the Water Dough and flatten it on the palm of your hand.

Place a piece of Oil Dough in the center.

Fold the edges of the flattened Water Dough over the Oil Dough center, and seal.

Shape the dough into a round ball. Repeat for the remaining dough pieces.

Working with one piece at a time while keeping the rest covered, on a lightly floured surface, roll out a wrapped dough ball into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle strip.

Gently lift bottom edge and roll forward.

Rotate the log into a vertical, and roll again into a long 1/8-inch thick strip.

Gently lift the bottom edge and roll forward into a log.

Repeat for the remaining dough. Cover with a damp towel or beeswax wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Assembling the cookies

Working with one piece of dough at a time while keeping the rest covered, cut the log into two (or three, if making 96 cookies) equal-sized pieces.

Repeat for the remaining dough.

Take a piece of cut dough in your hand, the swirly cross-section facing up. Using your fingers, stretch out the dough into a 1/8-inch disk. I usually press the edges thinner to make it easier to seal in the filling. You can also roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin.