One of the few things we love about Chinese New Year? The mind-boggling variety of snacks that bakeries and restaurants creatively conjure up. We’ve narrowed down a list of delicious baked goods from the myriad of brands, so you know just what to zero in on.

1. Ah Ma Homemade Cake

For those who love their goodies with a little zodiac inspiration, there’s the Ah Ma Homemade Cake’s adorable and auspicious Moo Moo Cookies ($15.80/bottle) to usher in the year of the ox, made with premium Danish butter Lurpak and a delectable pineapple paste.

For those who love the crumbly base of pineapple tarts, there are heart-shaped and lucky four-leaf clover butter cookies to satisfy the munchies, too. If you’re a fan of the open-faced version, the classic Sunflower Cookies ($12.80/bottle) are the quintessential festive treat to have, with just the right amount of sweetness.

Available at all Ah Ma Homemade Cake outlets and online at https://www.ah-mah.com.sg/.

2. Baker’s Brew

For cookies with a Peranakan flair, head to Baker’s Brew. For added nostalgia, they’ve packaged their snacks in miniature old-school biscuit tins. A must-try is their signature Ondeh Ondeh Cookies ($27.80/tin).

Made with a pandan-infused dough and filled with a generous amount of gula melaka coconut filling, these moist and flavourful cookies are simply irresistible. Bak kwa lovers will definitely enjoy the Pineapple Bak Kwa Cookies ($26.80/tin), which puts a savoury spin on a favourite.

For something unique, there’s the Muah Chee Peanut Cookies ($26.80/tin), made with roasted peanuts and peanut butter, topped with more ground peanuts for extra crunch.

Available at all Baker’s Brew outlets and online at https://www.bakersbrew.com/. Get 8 per cent off when you place your orders before Jan 24 2021.

Minimum of three tins. Use code CNY2021 at checkout. Free delivery to a single location for orders above $500.

3. BreadTalk

This Lunar New Year, BreadTalk is ushering in the new year with their stellar line-up of festive cookies. Their offering? 14 savoury and sweet cookie options that can be purchased in individual containers or as gift sets, this is their largest festive cookie collection to date.

Ranging from $10.80 to $14.80 per tin, select from an assortment of flavours such as the Mini Milk Chocolate Cookie, Coffee Butter Cookie, Prosperity Floss Cookie, Pumpkin Matcha Crisp, Salted Egg Roll, and more.

If you fancy having a little taste of everything, the cookies are also bundled into gift sets ($26.80 to $56.80) that come with an assortment of cookies, nuts and bak kwa.

Available at all BreadTalk outlets and online at breadtalk.com.sg/shop from Jan 7 to Feb 25, 2021.

4. Janice Wong

Savour something new from one of Singapore’s most-known pâtissiers.

Janice Wong, who has trained under some of the world’s best chefs, has rolled out some interesting treats for the Year of the Ox, such as the Dark Chocolate Coated Pineapple Tarts ($32/tin), Love Letters with Hazelnut Dip ($35), and our personal favourite, the Chocolate Koi ($58 for a box of 5), which are beautiful chocolate praline crunchy wafers and candied oranges shaped in the form of koi fish and painted with Wong’s signature paint swirls.

Available at all Janice Wong outlets and online at https://www.janicewong.online/

5. Mdm Ling Bakery

Let Mdm Ling Bakery take your tastebuds on a journey with more than 25 festive goodies made with ingredients sourced from all over the world.

From Singapore, there’s the aromatic Kopi Siew Dai Cookies ($18.80 for 180 g), a small pick-me-up for guests who have a packed day of visitations, and the Hae Bee Hiam Cookies ($18.80 for 300g), made with homemade spicy sambal chilli that’s rather addictive.

The Purple Sweet Potato Cookies ($18.80 for 260g) — inspired by the Land of the Rising Sun — has a natural sweet taste with a mild flavour of chestnut, while the are the Red Velvet Cheese Cookies ($16.80 for 340g) beetroot coloured red velvet cheese cookies is said to be inspired by France.

Available at Mdm Ling Bakery’s Takashimaya Booth from Jan 14 to Feb 10, 2021, online at mdmlingbakery.com/ and more than 50 Shell Select outlets. For the full collection of cookies and buns, pre-order on Shell Select Online for pick up at any Shell Select outlet of your choice.

6. Old Seng Choong

Home-grown brand Old Seng Choong, helmed by renowned local pastry chef Daniel Tay, is well-loved for its quality and quirky Asian-inspired bakes.

This year, they’ve a line-up of festive treats with an inventive twist, including the Yuzu Swiss Roll ($33.80 for 800g), a light and aromatic treat made with quality Japanese flour, yuzu zest and puree from Japan, local tze-char inspired Crispy Har Lok Cookies ($23.80 for 160g), a Cantonese inspired dry-fried prawns dish that’s brimming with the umami flavour of dried shrimps and a whiff of fried shallots, Marmite Chicken Floss Cookies ($23.80 for 160g), as well as the returning favourite, Bak Kwa Pineapple Tarts ($48.80 for 18 pieces), a snack filled with a generous centre of homemade pineapple jam spiked with parmesan and hand-chopped bak kwa bits.

Available at all Old Seng Choong outlets and online at oldsengchoong.com. Order before Jan 20, 2021 to enjoy the early bird discount of 20 per cent.

7. Pan Pacific

At Pan Pacific’s Pacific Marketplace, the hotel’s gourmet grocery and café enjoy original creations such as the new Prosperity Brown Sugar Peanut Cake ($72) and the Cantonese Sponge Cake with Fragrant Almond Flakes ($24 for 300g). Back by popular demand, the Signature Caramel Walnuts with Sesame Seeds ($35 for 250g), Pineapple Pastry Combination ($68 for 16 pieces) a set that has a mixture of Tangerine, Pineapple Tiles, Black Gold and Pineapple Shape cookies and Koi Fish Nian Gao ($32 for two pieces) will definitely impress.

As a gift, the Chinese New Year Prosperity Hamper ($368) checks all the right boxes with a bottle of Sangre de Toro Original, Premium Signature XO Chilli Sauce with Dried Scallops, Caramel Walnuts with Sesame Seeds, Hai Tien Lo Tea Leaves in Tin, Abundance Chocolate Pralines (12pcs), Pineapple Pastry Combination, Tian Bai Mushroom Set, A bottle of Organic Black Garlic, Peanut Cookies and Mandarin Oranges (8pcs).

Available for pre-order at ppsinshop.com from Jan 4, 2021 collect their purchases from Jan 25 to Feb 26, 2021 at Hai Tien Lo between 12pm to 8pm (except Jan 11, 2021, where collection is from 10am to 5pm).

8. Paradise Group

Liven up the Lunar New Year festivities with Paradise Group’s special handmade Chinese New Year goodies such as the Steamed Yam Cake with Chinese Sausage, Golden Fa Gao with Red Date, Steamed Nian Gao with Coconut Milk, and Steamed Carrot Cake with Chinese Sausage. Weighing 1.2kg each, the yam and radish used in its festive cakes are freshly minced upon production.

Each festive cake is priced at $29.80, or get the Festive Cake Trio Set ($86.80) that consists of the Steamed Yam Cake with Chinese Sausage, Steamed Nian Gao with Coconut Milk, and Steamed Carrot Cake with Chinese Sausage.

There is also a Festive Goodies Trio Set ($56.80) which comes with addictive Nutty Almond Cookie, Butter Cookie, and Honey Sesame Walnut that will be a hit with guests coming to your place.

Available at all Canton Paradise, Beauty in The Pot (The Centrepoint) and Paradise Dynasty outlets from Jan 7, 2021. 

9. Pine Garden

For traditionalists, the Handmade Pineapple Tarts ($32.80) at this heritage bakery are a hot favourite. It’s always the first item to be sold out and long queues at the bakery is a testament of the hard work that was put into making them.

Other things worth adding to cart include the Popcorn Cookies (price TBC), a buttery soft gem that has a cookie base with a toasty popcorn taste, Kueh Bahulu ($17.40), as well as the Yuzu Pineapple Tart Rolls ($36), which are a healthier option with reduced sugar.

Available at all Pine Garden outlets and online at pgcake.com/products.

10. Seriously Keto

We understand the universal problem of pigging out shortly after making your New Year resolutions to eat healthy.

If you’re struggling to keep your hands off the indulgent and addictive goodies, visit Singapore’s first wholly Ketogenic bakery Seriously Keto for keto-friendly, low-carb, zero-sugar and fat-burning snacks that don’t compromise on taste.

Check out their rendition of Cashew Cookies ($19.80 for 20 pieces) – the buttery and nutty must-have every year (usually at 62 calories per piece!). It’s also suitable for diabetics, so everyone can have a piece this CNY.

From crust to crown, their Pecan Coconut Tart ($88.80) is passionately prepared and gorgeously adorned with gold leaves for the festive season. This keto-friendly, gluten-free, and low carb tart contains zero added sugars and carries subtle whiffs of butterscotch.

Available at 32 Seah Street, Singapore 188388 and seriouslyketo.com for pre-order and delivery. Use the promo code“SKCNY10” when checking out from their website to receive 10 per cent off all bundles from Jan 6 until 9 Feb 9, 2021.

11. SunnyHills

Love pineapple tarts from this Taiwanese brand? Try the limited-edition Fortune Cakes ($43 for nine pieces) made with SunnyHills hallmark organic non-GMO pineapples, encased in a soft pastry that melts-in-your mouth.

The pineapple inspired motif on the pastry hides the ‘secret recipe’, salted-egg made into a custard, gives a new twist to everyone’s favourite pineapple tarts.

The Apple + Pineapple Cake Gift Box ($32 for 10 pieces) has both the original pineapple as Kougyoku Apple Cake Tart. Nicely packaged in a limited-edition gift box and linen tote bag, it’s designed with a paper-cut bull motif that can be hung up to symbolise the welcoming of wealth and prosperity for all recipients.

Available at all SunnyHills outlets and online at shop.sunnyhills.com.sg/index as well as Shoppee and Lazada.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.