Chin Chin

This is a nigerian cookie that me and my mom perfected. It is very simple to make and this is the best recipe out there. Trust me, I have made this for many nigerian festivities and people tell me that it is the best.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 10-15
• Yields: 50-200 cookies

Ingredients

• 5  cups all-purpose flour
• 3  large eggs
• 9  tablespoons  of i cant believe its not butter (the best)
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1⁄3 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 gallon canola oil (for frying, the best)

Directions

1. Heat up the oil at medium high for 20 minutes. when you are ready to fry lower the heat to low for 5 minutes so that the cookies dont burn.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. add the sugar to the flour and mix well.
3. Add the butter to the flour and mix well until the butter is well incorporated with the flour.
4. In a separte bowl, wisk the eggs with the water; add it to the flour mixture. Knead it well for 1 minute until it form a nice smooth ball. (if the dough is sticky, my secret is to make a little of the flour mixture and then add it to the dough instead of just adding plain flour. The cookies is tastier when you add a flour mixture as explained in step 2. If you add plain flour to the sticky dough it will subtract from the taste. But i am sure with trial and error you will get the correct consistency at first try.).
5. It is important to put the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before you start to shape them. I shape the dough into a round ball and cut it into 4 equal parts. When they are cool, I start out with 1 part while I leave the others in the fridge to continue cooling. I put seran wrap or any container to cover the dough so it does not dry on the surface. ( it is not nessasary to cool the dough, but from experience it makes the rolling and frying much easier and the cookies looks very neat as it helps it from sticking together or breaking apart.).
6. When I roll the dough, I use my hands to shape it to a rectangle or a square. I pour small flour on a board and some more over a rolling pin, and some on a nice sharp serated knife or any long knife. There are two ways to cut the chin chin. The easy way is to roll the dough and cut it into 2inches wide by 1/4 inch thick. then you cut it across in the shape of a diamond. You then slit a hole in the middle of the diamond and carry the tip of the diamond and put it in the hole backwards and strech it. Dont strech the dough too much or it will break apart. also you dont have to slit the hole. I just pinch a hole in the middle of the diamond and push the tip backwards and strech. Make sure the hole you pinch is not too big or it might break apart while frying. Ok, the harder less complicated method is to roll the dough thinner 1/6 inch thick by 1/2 inch width. This should look like long skinny strips. Then you cut each strip into squares. Most people settle for this harder but easier method. Make sure that the chin chin is not dusted with too much flour.
7. Frying. Like i said earlier preheat the oil and reduce it to low for 5 minutes when ready to fry. if the chin chin gets brown right away then that means that this chin chin has burned and did not cook properly because the oil is too hot. Lower the heat and wait 3 minutes before you attempt to fry again. Dont put too much or it will burn the oil. When you put the chin chin in the oil, it should take about 3 to 4 minutes to cook right. If it is not browning after 1 minute, raise the temperature to high until it browns a golden brown. What I do is I always lower the heat to low when I am not frying. But when I fry, I increase the heat to high. then I lower it at low for 3 minutes before I put it the next batch of cookies to fry. This is all trail and error, but I assure it will be easier with experience. Tip: Also remember that according to the size of the pan you frying you have to adjust the oil because this is deep frying. the oil should be atleast 1 1/2 inch deep in any pan you use. The wider the pan the quicker you can fry the chin chin.