Cookie/biscuit dough is sweetened and infused with fermented red bean curd for that savory umami taste at the same time. The dough is fried until crispy. They made such a pleasant snack. They can be baked or air-fried for a healthier version.
Mix flour, baking powder, icing sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add water and oil and knead into a soft non-sticky dough. Wrap it up while you prepare the savory dough
Prepare the savory dough:
Use a fork to mash the fermented red bean curd. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, five-spice powder, and sesame seeds. Whisk to combine. Add the mashed fermented red bean curd and oil. Knead into a dough. If it's too dry, add the liquid that comes in the jar from the fermented red bean curd, teaspoon by teaspoon until you can get a soft non-sticky dough
Roll the doughs:
Lightly dust your working surface with some rice flour. Using rice flour adds extra crispiness to the cookie/biscuit when you fry it later
Roll out the sweet dough into a 10 x 12 inches rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. You can always fold the extra dough on the four sides over to make it looks more like a neat rectangle (as shown in the photo above). Lightly dust with rice flour as needed. Roll the savory dough into a 10 x 12 inches rectangle separately too. Try to make both doughs as similar in size as possible.
Brush the top of the sweet dough with some water, not too much, just enough so when yous stack the savory dough on top, they will stick together. Carefully stack the savory dough on top and gently press and smooth it out. Brush the top of the savory dough with some water too and then starting from the side near you, roll it up tightly into a log (like a Swiss roll)
Chill the dough:
Wrap the dough up and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes. The purpose is so that the dough is firm enough and you can cut it into thin slices. Thin slices will make the cookie/biscuit crispy when you fry or bake them
Cut and bake:
Preheat oven or air fryer to 340 F (170 C) if you plan to use oven or air fryer. Remove from the freezer and use a sharp knife to thinly cut the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. If it's not thin enough, you can always use a rolling pin to roll it out a bit thinner too. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper
If you plan to deep fry:
Preheat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottom saucepan or pot. When you put a skewer or chopstick in the oil and there are bubbles around it, the oil is ready. Lower the heat to low and wait for 1 minute and then add few slices at a time and fry for about 2 minutes or so and you can increase the heat a bit to medium-low and continue to fry until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil to an absorbent paper towel to drain off the excess oil. They will crisp up further when they have cooled down completely
If you plan to bake or air fry:
Brush the top side of the cookie with a bit of cooking oil. Put in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes and then flip to the other side and brush with a bit of oil and bake for another 10 minutes or until they are just a bit slightly golden on the edge (mine were a bit overbaked or over air-fried LOL). They will crisp up further when they have cooled down completely. Remove to a cooling rack to let them crisp up further
For air-fryer, line the bottom of the basket with parchment paper then arrange the dough slices on top, brush with a bit of oil and air fry for about 2-3 minutes and then check to see if they are firmed enough for you to flip over to the other side. If they aren't, continue for another minute and then check again. If they are firm enough, flip to the other side and brush with a bit of oil and air fry for another 1-2 minutes or until crispy and just slightly golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack to let them crisp up further
Storing:
Store them in an air-tight container after they have cooled down completely. The cookies stay crispy for at least one week in my case (because they didn't last more than a week LOL).