500graw or blanched peanuts (shelled and skinned)OR 500g semi coarse peanut butter
500gAll Purpose flour
500gcaster sugar
⅛tspfine salt
400-450mlvegetable oil (like corn or rapeseed)Mazola brand or otherwise
1egg yolk
2Tbspfresh milkor water
Instructions
Toast the Peanuts
Place the raw or blanched peanuts in a large frying pan over medium heat and toast for 10 minutes. Be sure that the pan is large enough for the nuts to be in a single layer.Turn the heat down to medium-low after 2 minutes, so the peanuts don't brown too quickly and burn.
Keep tossing and flipping the peanuts until they are a light brown colour and giving off a sweet and nutty aroma.
When done, tip the nuts onto a large, flat plate and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Then, save about 20 peanuts and set aside. Place the rest in a chopper and pulse to a semi fine state. Do these in batches if your chopper isn't big enough. When the peanuts resemble large grains of wet sand, you're done.The 20 peanuts - break them up with the back of a knife to get large pieces for topping the cookies. Or use a pestle and mortar (batu lesung).
Prepare the Kuih Kacang Dough
Place the flour, sugar, chopped peanuts and salt into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.
Slowly, drizzle about ¾ of the oil all over the dry ingredients. Stir with the wooden spoon to mix. Your dough will still be a little too dry at this point. Use your clean hands to bring the dough together, but do not knead, just mix with your fingers.
Keep adding the oil a little at a time until you get a dough that doesn't crumble. I apologise for forgetting the photos from this step! Your dough wants to be a little damp. The more the dough stays together at the point, the sturdier your biskut kacang.
Forming and Baking Kuih Kacang
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C Fan).
Roll the dough into little balls and place on a baking tray.
Beat the egg yolk a little with the milk or water. Then finish the peanuts balls with a little egg wash on, and press down (slightly) a tiny piece of nut for decoration.
Bake in the oven for about 18 minutes. You can do 2 trays at a time. Check your cookies at the 15 minute mark, if they are not brown enough, bake for 3 minutes more.
Let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container. They will last for 2 weeks.