Chinese New Year is coming up, starting on February 10, 2013.
Time to start planning to welcome the Year of the Snake, Lunar Year 4711.
So last mother’s day, Quill gifted me with several drawings she had done, especially for me, and for my website Guava Rose.
How sweet! As a mother, something handmade or hand drawn by my children means so much to me. I have a special box that I’ve kept all their cards and special drawings in since they were very little.
I’ll be sharing some of Quill’s drawings here and there in my blog posts. This drawing seemed perfect to celebrate the Year of the Snake. Gotta love that cookie with a bite missing out of it.
Quill’s drawing inspired me to make a cookie to fit the spirit of her drawing.
Something sweet, with a little chewiness and spice.
Chocolate, walnuts, dates, oats, and Chinese 5 spice powder.
Quick and simple to throw together.
Really takes only about ten minutes to mix up and scoop onto the baking sheets.
Chinese 5 spice Chocolate Chip Walnut Date Cookies made with quick oats
You can use quick oats, or ground oats.
I made these with quick oats, which produced a much chewier cookie.
When I made them with ground oats (rolled oats I processed for several seconds in my Vitamix blender), the cookies were crunchier on the outside edges and softer in the middle. The Chinese 5 spice powder seemed to come through more in these.
They tasted great both ways and disappeared equally fast either way.
This year I’m keeping it simple and stacking these cookies up in my Chinese Candy Box.
Chinese 5 spice Chocolate Chip Walnut Date Cookies made with ground oats
Just place the cookies on a gold doily and you’re good to go.
Nothing says good luck more than the colors of red and gold.
Hmm…something to drink.
How about some Tangerine Hibiscus Tea Juice in little tea cups? Very lucky looking indeed!
But then the Tangerine Hibiscus Tea Juice is so tasty, you may just want to drink a larger glass.
Let’s take one more look at my inspiration…
I decided that since snakes are reptiles, and they like to sun themselves, it makes perfect sense that the glass needs sunglasses because of the glare of the sun.
I’m still wondering about that bitten cookie though, think it was the snake who bit it?
Chinese 5 Spice Chocolate Chip Walnut Date Cookies and Tangerine Hibiscus Tea Juice
Oops, can’t forget the straw. Now we’re good. Perfectly inspired by Quill’s drawing.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
- ½ c. unsalted butter
- ¾ c. evaporated cane juice crystals or sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ c. diced dates
- ¼ c. + 2T. all purpose flour
- ¼ c. + 2T. whole wheat flour
- 1 c. quick oats or ground oats
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 3-4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder
- ½ c. chopped walnuts
- ¾ c. semi sweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream butter and sugar. Blend in egg and vanilla. Mix in dates.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients except for the walnuts and chocolate chips. Add to the creamed mixture and mix until blended. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough with a 2 T. scoop onto cookie sheets. Bake approximately 12-14 minutes or until done. Remove cookies from sheets and cool on racks.
