Simple Coconut Cookies, Mother Tongue, Valentine's Day
简单的椰丝饼干，简简单单的心意

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This morning, I went to my daughters' school as a parent volunteer to support Chinese Mother Tongue program. 

I was tasked to manage Quiz Corner. Teachers have prepared some quizzes related to CNY. Girls are required to pick one question from a box, and answer in Mandarin. The reward is a sticker. It's interesting to see the girls queueing for the quizzes, trying to figure out the meanings of the Chinese words. Some of them gave the answers in English or dialect spontaneously rather than in Mandarin. Seems girls don't use common Chinese words such as “柑”, “压岁钱”，“元宵节 ”，“除夕”，“春联”, “腊肠” etc so often at home.  It's said that almost 80% of the pupils in this school come from English-spoken family.
 
I am proud that Mandarin is my mother tongue, also my daughters'.  Even if it's not, it's an asset if we have a good command of a language like Mandarin, which has nearly one billion native speakers. Some people belittle Mandarin simply because it's not linked to academic performance. *无语* . Anyway, hope the girls have learned something while having fun today.
 
CNY celebration lasts for 15 days. Today is the 5th day and it happens to be Valentine's Day!  I baked heart-shaped coconut cookies and packed them nicely for all the ladies in the office.  It's a small token for Valentine's Day.  May this Valentine bless us with warmth of love and endless joy as we journey through our lives!


COCONUT COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

- 125g unsalted butter (softened)
- 90g Icing sugar
- 1 egg
- 220g self-raising flour
- 80g dessicated coconut















DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat oven at 180 DegC.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add butter, egg and icing sugar.  Mix with an electric mixer until fluffy.
  3. Add flour and dessicated coconut, mix well.
  4. Roll out the dough until 8mm in thickness. Cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter.
  5. Place about 2cm apart on a lined baking tray.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Recipe adapted here.


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