Cassava Cheese Cookies

When I first tried this cheese cookies from a reputable bakery/confectionery chain here, I like it very much. However, one tin of this cheese cookies isn't cheap. I bought it for a few years before I decided not to get it anymore. Then I decided to try this when I first saw the recipe at Corner Cafe. I thought it isn't too difficult to do. The method of frying the tapioca starch sounds like Kueh Bangkit method. Then I thought that maybe, to make a melt in the mouth texture, the flour had to be fried first (or heated up). However, I didn't follow the instructions clearly. As I didn't have pandan leaves, I omitted the first step. :p

Then I neglected the low temperature required. That was why I ended up with first batch being overbaked. Thinking why it was so crispy and brown. Actually, after eating, I found that the crispy cookies tasted better in terms of texture. The suppose to be melt-in-the-mouth version was soft and didn't melt in the mouth. Likely was because I didn't fry the flour. So in comparision, the crispy cookies was better. :p

Recipe for Cassava Cheese Cookies, adapted from Corner Cafe.
(Makes approx. 75 small cookies)

Ingredients:
(my modification in brackets)

85g LIV unsalted butter, softened
85g Caster sugar (75g, which was still too sweet for me)
1 Egg, separated

170g Tapioca starch *
2 Pandan leaves (I omitted this)
50g Parmesan cheese powder
15g Coconut milk powder

* I actually started with just over 170g of starch, after drying in microwave oven and sifting, I ended with just about 155g of dry tapioca starch. (I didn't microwave it because I don't have pandan leaves)

Method:

1. Wash and dry the pandan leaves, and then cut into short sections. Put tapioca starch and pandan leaves on a piece of kitchen paper and put into the microwave. Cook on HIGH for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and transfer onto a new piece of kitchen paper. Put back into microwave and cook on HIGH for another minute. Remove the tapioca starch and sift it into a mixing bowl; set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 150°C. (I omitted this step because I don't have pandan leaves)

2. In the meantime, cream softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk until well mixed.

3. Add sifted tapioca starch, parmesan cheese powder and coconut milk powder to the creamed mixture. Mix well. The dough will be crumbly at this stage.

4. Lightly beat the egg white and add gradually to the crumbly dough until it just clumps into a smooth dough. You may not need all of the egg white; or you may need more. (I used up the whole egg white)


5. Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle. Pipe out into small flower shapes.

6. Bake for about 18-20 minutes; the cookies should remain light golden in colour, so don’t let the cookies get too brown. (I over-baked my first batch as I put it to 180C, without noticing the temperature should be low.)