[Free Pattern] Chinese New Year: Kueh Bangkit Amigurumi Crochet Pattern・农历新年: 钩针编织番婆饼/茨粉饼

Today is the 9th day of the Chinese New Year, and next on the menu is another CNY staple — a fragrant, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth coconut cookie called kueh bangkit (pattern below). Like the pineapple tart amigurumi, kueh bangkit is also a festive staple for CNY and Hari Raya in Singapore and Malaysia.

As mentioned in the nian gao amigurumi post, the 8th and 9th days of the CNY are extremely important to many Hokkien Chinese and Peranakans as it is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, a day known as a day known as Ti Kong Seh (天公生) or Pai Ti Kong (拜天公) in Hokkien — meaning "Heavenly Duke's birthday" and "pray [to the] Heavenly Duke" respectively, Heavenly Duke being one of the Jade Emperor's names. It is so singularly important for the Hokkien Chinese that it is also known as the Hokkien New Year. Traditionally, preparations for the thanksgiving offerings for the Jade Emperor (Ti Kong) begins early on the 8th day and are offered at 11pm. (This is according to the lunar calendar timing.) The birthday feast for the Jade Emperor is lavish. Among the many offerings would be many symbolic kueh such as ang ku kueh, huat kueh, kueh neng ko, mee koo and nian gao.

Kueh bangkit amigurumi, Local/Nonya kueh amigurumi CNY Special (IG post).

It kind of just occurred to me that I kind of messed up the order of my kueh amigurumi a bit. The kueh bangkit is often among the many food items offered in ancestral worship, a ritual that is usually observed on CNY Eve. Additionally, it is often served throughout CNY. For many Peranakan households, it is also often served alongside the nian gao and other CNY snacks on the 4th day. So, if I followed traditions, the nian gao amigirumi would have been more appropriate for today, and the kueh bangkit amigurumi for last Friday (the 4th day). Oh well, too late now.

Of all the CNY goodies, kueh bangkit is my personal favourite. It is a white, bite-sized cookie made from sago flour and/or tapioca flour, sugar, coconut cream, egg and pandan leaves. Its origins are unclear; some sources say it is of Malay origin, another hypothesises its likely origins to be the Riau region, another says Chinese origin, another attributes it to the Peranakans. Whatever its origins, the kueh bangkit is like CNY in our region: a multicultural affair.

Its Malay name "bangkit" means "rise", in reference to the fact that it expands during the baking process: see for e.g. The Way of Kueh (p.182), Nyonya Cooking, Guaishushu. However, others have also explained that its name means "fragrant cake", an amalgamation of the Malay "kek" (cake) and Hokkien "bang" 香 ("fragrant"): see for e.g. What To Cook Today, PC and Kitchen, Sweetness Haven Creations. I think it doesn't matter which meaning is the correct one. Instead I rather like this suggestion that it can signify "to rise against all odds".

May we rise up against all odds this Year of the Tiger. Kueh bangkit amigurumi, Local/Nonya kueh amigurumi CNY Special (IG post).

Indeed, we could all hope to rise up against the odds. The past 2 years have been constantly challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing restrictions (more so for some than others). We saw an increase in domestic violence, increase in mental health issues, economic recession and economic disruptions in some sectors, etc. here at home and globally. And though we're doing slightly better now, the Year of the Tiger looks set to be challenging with likely social distancing policy fluctuations as we transition from pandemic to endemic (transitioning won't be simple), inflation, rental and property prices hitting record highs and continuing to rise, rising food prices, rising energy prices, difficult economic recovery for some sectors. And of course, the impending GST hike. Wouldn't be surprising if some protest the lousy timing. Don't cha wish our government was... (¬▂¬) Okay, it's still CNY and I don't want to spoil it.

Kueh bangkit comes in many shapes. They are typically shaped into the 12 zodiac animals, or various flowers and animals with auspicious symbolisms. For e.g. chrysanthemum flowers for good fortune or longevity, fish for abundance and prosperity, rooster for good fortune or advancement, tortoise for longevity, crab for advancement or business success. According to The Way of Kueh, Peranakans in Singapore traditionally cut and pinch (with the kueh to decorate it, while Peranakans in Malacca and Penang typically shape it using wooden moulds that are used for kueh koya (green bean cookies) and dot them with red dye. That might explain why I don't often see the moulded forms here, but a lot of flower shaped ones with pinched decorations.

My kueh bangkit amigurumi is shaped like the plum blossom. I was partly inspired by the ones by Lisa's Lemony Kitchen but that said, it is also a common shape used for kueh bangkit here, maybe because the plum blossom is a CNY staple too. I personally love the plum blossom. It is a beautiful flower that is both culturally significant and symbolically auspicious.

Popular CNY staples: pineapple tarts and kueh bangkit (coconut cookies). (IG post)

As the plum flowers around the middle to the end of winter, it signals the arrival of spring. Its flowering period tends to coincide with CNY — which is also known as the Spring Festival (chūn jié, 春节) — thus, the plum blossom is a staple in CNY decorations. (Well, here in the tropics, we use fake ones.) The plum blooms in the frost, before other spring flowers, as such it symbolises resilience, perseverance and purity. Plum blossoms are also believed to dispel or protect against evil.

For centuries, the plum blossom has been highly admired in countries in the East Asian cultural sphere. It graces many East Asian gardens, and is a classical subject in East Asian art and literature, often traditionally depicted with the bamboo and pine as the "Three Friends of Winter" or with the orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum as the "Four Gentlemen". For a long time, plum blossom viewing has been a popular activity among the Chinese. Since ancient times, Chinese nobles, courtiers and literati held flower-viewing parties surrounding the plum blossom, and this practice reached its peak during the Sui, Tang and Song dynasties. Nowadays, people associate flower-viewing parties with cherry blossoms and Japan (hanami). However, the original star of the hanami was the plum blossom during the Nara period (flower-viewing was introduced to Japan from Tang China during that time), before it was later replaced by the cherry blossom in the early Heian period.

The cherry blossom may resemble fluttering clouds, and symbolise evanescence, but the plum...ah! it is as fragrant clouds, symbolising resilience.

White plum blossoms at Soga Bairin in Odawara, Kanagawa. Visited on 2018 CNY (on IG) and 2019 CNY (IG).

In a way, the kueh bangkit is challenging too. It's not an issue of finding a recipe. There are sooo many recipes for kueh bangkit out there, e.g. on Baba Nyonya Peranakans, Adrian Cheah (recipe by Mdm Lily Wong), Kitchen Tigress, Her World magazine, Ding Bakery...and of course the recipe in The Way of Kueh, which also includes a salted egg yolk version. There's even one for one for kueh bangkit ice cream.

Like most of the items in our region's kueh repertoire, kueh bangkit looks simple, but is notoriously difficult to get right, as it involves agak agak, our multicultural local slang for guesstimation, i.e. going by feel, rather than precise measurements. The ideal kueh bangkit is white, hard and brittle but crumbles easily, and should melt in your mouth, into a fragrant, subtly sweet coconut creaminess. This is why kueh bangkit is my personal favourite CNY cookie, but also why I rarely take a punt with it — I've had so many tasteless plaster-like renditions that I think twice before reaching into the cookie jar.

This ideal texture is what makes kueh bangkit difficult to master. In order to achieve the cookie's characteristic melt-in-the-mouth texture and aroma, the flour and pandan leaves have to be fried to remove excess moisture and to infuse the flour with the pandan's fragrance; it also must have the right ratio of yolk and coconut cream so that the dough is rich in flavour but still crumbly and dry. The ideal kueh bangkit has to be white, so they have to be baked at the right temperature and timing to avoid browning. As mentioned, a lot of it involves agak agak and yet strict precision.

On that note, I'm happy to say that my kueh bangkit amigurumi does not require any form of agak agak to make or the experienced hand (or incessant criticism feedback!) of a family matriarch.

Kueh bangkit amigurumi for the Year of the Tiger (IG post).

KUEH BANKGIT AMIGURUMI CROCHET PATTERN

Materials & Tools:

• Yarn in white
• 2mm crochet hook
• Stuffing
• Stitch markers
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Safety eyes and embroidery thread (optional)

For the kueh bangkit amigurumi I made, I used Papi Yarn by Tiny Rabbit Hole No.62 White, 1 pair of 4.5mm safety eyes (black), DMC 25 mouliné No.3371 (dark brown), Anchor stranded stocktwist mouliné No.13 (red), and blush (Bobbi Brown No.18 Desert Pink and No.8 Pink Coral).

Abbreviations (US Terms):

R : round
MR : magic ring
ch : chain
sl st : slip stitch
st(s) : stitch(es)
sc : single crochet
dc : double crochet
inc : increase
(...) : a set of pattern instructions
[...] : total number of sts in round/row

Finished Size:

Approx. 3.5cm × 3.3cm × 1.5cm

Pattern Notes:

• In this pattern, the 5 lobes of the plum blossom kueh bangkit amigurumi are made in a way that is similar to the shell stitch, but with 1 skipped stitch instead of 2.
• For tips on amigurumi face embroidery, see for e.g. the tutorials by Tiny Curl, Critter Crochet, The Friendly Red Fox, Hobium Yarns.

KUEH BANGKIT - PLUM BLOSSOM SHAPED

Make 2.

Using white yarn, work in rounds,
R1. MR, 5 sc. [5]
R2. 5 inc. [10]
R3. 10 inc. [20]
R4. Sl st to first st of R3, skip the next st, (5 dc into the next st, skip the next st, sl st into the next st) 5 times. Work the last sl st into the first sl st. [30, including the sl sts]

Correction:
R4. Sl st into first st of R3, (skip the next st, 5 dc into the next st, skip the next st, sl st into the next st) 4 times, skip the next st, 5 dc into the next st, skip the next st, sl st into the first sl st of this round. [25 dc sts]

R4.

To complete R4.

For the 1st piece: Fasten off.
For the 2nd piece: Do not cut yarn
Use the working yarn to join the 2 pieces together according to Step 2 below.

TO COMPLETE

1. If adding safety eyes, insert them between R2 and R3, about 4 or 5 sts apart. Alternatively, use embroidery thread to stitch on the amigurumi face, or make a red dot in the centre of the amigurumi with red embrodery thread/yarn or non-toxic acrylic paint. See the pictures for reference. (I apologise, as I've yet to master sewing on amigurumi faces.)

Stitching on amigurumi faces... (I did some after joining the 2 pieces.)

2. Align the 2 pieces together, with the back sides facing each other. Using the crochet hook and working yarn, sl st both pieces together. To sl st the 2 pieces together, sl st through both loops of the 5 dc sts (the petals) and at the sl st between the petals, sl st into the same st in R3 where you worked the sl st in R4. Stuff lightly before closing the work completely.

Joining the 2 pieces together

3. Secure and hide the end inside the work.

And the kueh bangkit is done!

I hope today's kueh amigurumi will be a fun make. We're now about halfway through the 15 days of CNY, and the end will be here before we know it! I hope to end this CNY special with a final CNY staple on the last day, so until then.... Cheers!

Chinese New Year kueh special: pineapple tarts, kueh bangkit and ang ku kueh...

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Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have fun making these kueh bangkit. As with all my other patterns, I would love to see how your finished items turned out, so please tag me with my Instagram handle @yotsuba_blythes.

While I'm happy to share my pattern without charge and would be delighted to see it being used, please note that my pattern is for personal use only. Please respect my legal and moral rights as the author with respect to this pattern and all the images herein. This pattern and images are not for commercial use, sale or distribution. The sale of this pattern or any of the images is not permitted without my prior written consent. If you wish to share this pattern, please link to this post and my Instagram profile @yotsuba_blythes. You are welcome to sell limited quantities of the finished items you have made from this pattern.

(This post was edited on 18 April 2022 to correct an error in the amigurumi crochet pattern.)