What to do with your leftover Lunar New Year goodies

Instead of letting them go to waste, give these treats a second life by repurposing them into something just as decadent

The Lunar New Year season is almost over, and if you went a little overboard in buying your favourite festive snacks, you may find yourself with a pile of leftover goodies.

Instead of letting these treats go to waste, why not repurpose them? Those which are unopened and have not yet expired can be donated to charities such as The Food Bank Singapore, which will redistribute them to children’s homes family services centres.

For those opened snacks, you can flex your creative muscles by recreating them into sandwiches and spreads. That said, here are five ideas that will give your Chinese New Year goodies a new life.

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1. Turn pineapple tarts into jam and raw cookie dough

Pineapple tart in an open plastic container

Above Pineapple tarts (Photo: Getty Images)

Our favourite part of the pineapple tart is the filling, which you can easily transform into a decadent pineapple jam. Remove the pastry that coats it, combine the pineapple jam with fragrant spices such as cinnamon, star anise and clove, and voila! You have yourself a home-made pineapple jam.

Don’t throw away the crumbly tart, as this can also be turned into a raw cookie dough mix. To make one, grind the tart in a food processor until fine and mix with butter until it forms the dough. Spice up your mix with the addition of nuts and chocolate chips.

2. Sprinkle them over your dessert

Above Love letters (Photo: Getty Images)

Transform your leftover goodies into dessert toppings. Simply crush your festive bites in a zip lock bag until they reach your desired texture—fine, crumbly or chunky. For example, top off your ice cream with crushed up love letters to resemble a deconstructed wafer cone. On top of adding more flavour to your dessert, it also gives textural contrast.

3. Make your own nut butter

Above Nut butter (Photo: Getty Images)

Making your own nut butter isn’t as hard as you think. If you have leftover nuts from the festive season, turn them into nut butters. All you need to do is to blend them in a food processor until smooth. What’s more, making your own nut butter allows you to alter the consistency of the spread to your liking.

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4. Add bak kwa slices to your sandwiches

Bak Kwa is a Chinese dried meat product similar to jerky, usually made from pork.

Above Bak kwa sandwich (Photo: Getty Images)

These juicy barbecued slivers are a good substitute for ham. From its smoky flavour to its chewy texture, these slivers can elevate any sandwich. Layer the treat with chilli sauce and tomatoes, and enjoy it between fluffy slices of toasted bread.

5. Make a base for your cheesecake

Few varieties of Chinese New Year cookies in a plastic container

Above Selection of peanut cookies (Photo: Getty Images)

If you find yourself with extra almond and peanut cookies, easily turn them into a cheesecake base by crushing them in a zip lock bag and adding butter until they come together. Spread the mix evenly in a pan and refrigerate for a few hours before adding a creamy cheesecake filling from with a mix of cream cheese and condensed milk. Leave the decadent dessert in the fridge overnight before enjoying.

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Topics

The Food Bank Festive snacks Chinese New Year Sustainability

Tatler Asia

What should you do with your leftover Chinese New Year goodies?

1. Turn pineapple tarts into jam and raw cookie dough

2. Sprinkle them over your dessert

3. Make your own nut butter

4. Add bak kwa slices to your sandwiches

5. Make a base for your cheesecake