1 FIRECRACKER
$24 a tub, from My Lovebites, 412 Joo Chiat Road, tel: 6345-9677. Available from Jan 4.
The first bite was innocently sweet, but it later exploded into an exhilarating burst of spiciness on the tongue – a delightful stunner, this.
2 TRADITIONAL AND GREEN TEA NIAN GAO COATED WITH COCONUT FLAKES
$12.85 a box, from Szechuan Court & Kitchen at Level 3 Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Road, tel: 6431-6156. Available from Jan 17 to Feb 14.
We love the thoughtfulness that went into this nian gao (glutinous rice cake) – it's pre-sliced and topped with sweet coconut shreds so you can just take the portion you want, steam and serve.
3 PORK FLOSS MERINGUE
$8 a can, from Antoinette, 30 Penhas Road, tel: 6293-3121. Check www.antoinette.com.sg for a list of outlets. Available from January.
This creative take on the French dessert incorporates fluffy pork floss into airy meringue to create a crunchy, sweet-savoury combination that melts in your mouth.
4 DURIAN KING ROLL
$16.80 a tin, from Little Nonya's Cookies.
You get an unmistakable whiff of durian each time you open the tin, but the love letters are sweet and not as pungent as expected.
5 CHARCOAL GOLD ROLL
$16.80 a tin, from Little Nonya's Cookies.
The charcoal version has a subtle sesame flavour, though not as rich-tasting or aromatic as regular love letters.
6 KUIH BAHULU
$6 a box, from Bahulu Warisan, #01-591, 25 Bendemeer Road, tel: 6297-9668. Available year-round.
These are freshly baked every day and come in 11 flavours, such as strawberry, cheese, durian, oreo and gula Melaka (palm sugar). Kids will like the oreo-flavoured ones, while the gula melaka ones are softer and more moist. Finish them up fast – they don’t keep well and will dry up within a few days.
7 PROSPERITY PASTRIES
$51.35 a box, from Jiang-nan Chun at Level 2 Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, 190 Orchard Boulevard, tel: 6831-7220. Available from Jan 8 to Feb 14. Order one day in advance.
Each box contains nine crumbly pastries in three flavours: baked mixed nuts with melon seeds, baked red dates with walnuts, and almonds and sesame seeds with lemon skin. Some testers likened them to red bean pastry with revamped flavours, while others were reminded of mooncakes, minus the cloying sweetness.
8 FIVE SPICED WALNUT SESAME COOKIES
$19.80 a tub, from Cedele, #01-20A Paragon, tel: 6887-5303. Check www.cedeledepot.com for a list of outlets. Available from Dec 31.
Here's an unusual savoury cookie with a distinctive five-spice flavour – a nice departure from the usual spread of sweet cookies.
9 BLUEBERRY TARTS
$19.80 a tub, from D'bun, 358 Joo Chiat Road, tel: 6345-8220. Available from December.
Barely-there berry flavours infused into the pineapple jam give these traditional tarts a new lease of life – a surprising combo that works. The ratio of jam to crust strikes a good balance, too.
10 BLOSSOM PINEAPPLE TARTS
$17.80 a tub, from Little Nonya's Cookies.
The base of these tartlets reminds us of digestive biscuits, and the fibrous jam has a chewy texture that brings to mind those buy-by-weight jam cookies we had as children.
11 PINEAPPLE POCKET PIES
$21.80 a tub, from Cedele.
Liberal servings of moist, sweet pineapple jam encased in a rich, buttery and flaky crust – it's hard to stop at one.
12 FORTUNE BO LO PINEAPPLE TART
From $16.80 a tub, from Crystal Jade My Bread, #B2-38 Ngee Ann City, tel: 6733-3323. Check
www.crystaljade.com for a list of outlets. Available from early January to mid-February.
Each mini bolo tart has a lovely crunch from the caramelised top and is baked to an appetising
golden-brown, while the sweetness of the pineapple jam is just right.
This article was originally published in Simply Her January 2014.
All product and pricing information was correct at the time of the magazine’s publication. We advise readers to check with the store for the latest availability and pricing information. All stores are located in Singapore.