Melt-in-you-mouth cookies made with ghee, filled with a sweet peanut filling, and coated with mixture of icing sugar and milk powder. They are eggless and easy to make.
Biskut Arab Susu/Kuih Makmur/Ghee Cookies
This popular Malaysian Kuih/Kueh Makmur is one of my favorite cookies. Some call these cookies Biskut Arab Susu/Kuih Momo. The origin of this biskut arab susu is thought to be inspired by Ma’amoul from the Middle Eastern, made with semolina and filled with sweet dates and nuts filling. Kuih makmur is especially popular for Eid celebrations. I like to make it for Chinese New Year celebration too because the word “makmur” means prosperous 😉
Kuih momo reminds me of Indonesia’s Kue Puteri Salju. I made my puteri salju without any filling, but some like to fill it with sweet peanut filling.
I’ve seen Kuih Makmur or Kuih Momo with two different shapes, leaf shape, and round snowball shapes. I’m particularly attracted to the leaf shape, which was made by crimping the dough using a special crimper tool I can’t find here.
The recipe rundown
1. Taste: Sweet and nutty with just a hint of saltiness
2. Texture: The cookie dough is soft and melts in your mouth
3. Level: Easy
Ingredients
1. All-purpose flour + Cake flour
I use a combination of these two flour to create a pastry-like flour. I feel like using cake flour alone will make the cookie too crumbly, but the pastry flour comes in between
2. Ghee
Ghee (clarified butter) is the star ingredient in this recipe. You can also use unsalted butter if you can’t find ghee. Though ghee is more concentrated and stronger in flavor
3. Peanuts
I use roasted peanuts and ground them finely
4. Granulated sugar
5. Cooking oil
6. Salt
A tiny pinch of salt brings out the flavor
How to easily make biskut Arab susu/kuih makmur/kuih momo
1. Melt the ghee and then let it cools down completely
2. Optional: Mix all ingredients for filling in a bowl. Set aside
3. Combine both flours and salt and whisk to combine. Pour the melted ghee into the flour mixture. If you want to color the dough, add few drops of color or extract here
4. Use your hand to knead into a smooth dough that won’t crumble when you roll into a ball, if it’s too crumbly, add a bit more ghee to help you form a soft dough
5. Divide the dough into 25 pieces or more if you make them smaller. Keep them covered and work with one dough at a time. Use your thumb to make a well in the center of the dough, wide enough to put the filling in. Seal the dough and roll into a smooth oval shape
6. Place on a parchment paper about 1/2-inch apart. The cookie doesn’t spread much
7. Once you are done filling and shaping the dough, if you have a crimper, you can crimp the middle and both sides to create a leaf pattern. I don’t have a crimper, so I just use a fork to imprint both sides
8. Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes. The cookies will not brown much. Remove from the oven and let them cool down on the tray for about 3 minutes or so then very gently roll the warm cookies (not hot) in a bowl of icing sugar and milk powder mixture. Place on a cooling rack and let them cool down completely before storing them in an air-tight container
How to store biskut Arab susu/kuih makmur/kuih momo
1. After coating the warm cookies with icing sugar and milk powder mixture, let them cool down completely on a cooling rack
2. Transfer to a cookie jar or an air-tight container. They can be kept at room temperature for weeks
Did you make this biskut Arab susu/kuih makmur recipe?
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Biskut Arab Susu/ Kuih Makmur (Ghee Peanut Cookies)
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- 40 gr ghee melted, plus more as needed
- 45 gr all-purpose flour
- 45 gr cake flour
- Small pinch of salt
Filling (optional):
- 30 gr ground peanuts
- 15 gr granulated sugar or more if you like it sweeter
- 10 gr cooking oil
- Small pinch of salt
For dusting:
- 1 Tbsp milk powder
- 1 Tbsp icing sugar
Instructions
- Melt the ghee and then let it cools down completely
Prepare the filling (if you choose to do filling):
- Mix all ingredients for filling in a bowl. Set aside
Prepare the cookie dough:
- Combine both flours and salt and whisk to combine. Pour the melted ghee into the flour mixture and use your hand to knead into a smooth dough that won't crumble when you roll into a ball, if it's too crumbly, add a bit more ghee to help you form a soft dough
Shape the cookies:
- Preheat oven at 320 F (160 C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 25 pieces or more if you make them smaller. Keep them covered and work with one dough at a time. If you want to use filling, use your thumb to make a well in the center of the dough, wide enough to put the filling in. Seal the dough and roll into a smooth oval shape. If you don't use the filling, simply roll the dough into smooth round ball. Place on a parchment paper about 1/2-inch apart. The cookie doesn't spread much
- Optional: Once you are done filling and shaping the dough, if you have a crimper, you can crimp the middle and both sides to create a leaf pattern. I don't have a crimper, so I just use a fork to imprint both sides
Baking:
- Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes. The cookies will not brown much. Remove from the oven and let them cool down on the tray for about 3 minutes or so
Dusting:
- Mix icing sugar wit milk powder. Then very gently roll the warm cookies (not hot) in a bowl of icing sugar and milk powder mixture. Place on a cooling rack and let them cool down completely before storing them in an air-tight container
