Here are recipes for Chinese cookies, cake and other Chinese-inspired treats that will add something extra to your holiday celebrations. If you’re not a whiz with a wok, don’t worry—unlike desserts such as sesame balls, these recipes are easy to make and don’t require knowledge of deep-frying or other traditional Chinese cooking techniques. The only requirement is a love of baking!
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Sesame Cookies
The Spruce
These tasty sesame cookies are topped with white sesame seeds, which make a frequent appearance in Chinese desserts and snacks.
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Baked Lunar New Year Cake (Nian Gao)
Olive Loei / EyeEm / Getty Images This sweet, baked Lunar New Year Cake (Nian Gao) has a slightly sticky texture or bite to it. This is a good recipe if you don’t like standing over the stove worrying about the steamer boiling dry, if you don’t want to pan fry lots of pieces, or if you want to share with non-Asians who might be used to a more…cake-like cake. For more help, see our step by step photo instructions on how to make baked Nian Gao.
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Five-Spice Peanuts
Bagus Sugianto / EyeEm / Getty Images Peanuts are a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture. Feel free to vary the basic recipe by experimenting with different combinations of spices with this five-spice peanuts recipe.