But local biz Bake Creation has managed to flip the script on these reclusive reptiles: their Chinese New Year cookie collection features a downright adorable depiction of these cold-blooded creatures.
“We think many people don’t like the snake because it looks fierce and is associated with laziness in Chinese culture. So we wanted to create something cuter and more eye-catching for our assorted cookie box this year,” said Bake Creation founder Vivian Wong.
To wit: this year, Bake Creation’s snake wears a God of Wealth hat while surrounded by ingots and gold coins. “We hope all our customers will be blessed with wealth in the Year of the Snake,” she added.
Wong founded Bake Creation in 2021 after wanting to break away from her career in graphic design. Fascinated by the baking industry from an early age, she decided to apply her skills to the creation of cakes and pastries instead.
She and business partner Hazel Yong currently run the bakery, which specialises in Muslim-friendly customised cakes, from their premises in Cheras.
Making zodiac animal cookies is something of a tradition for Wong and Yong, as they have been doing so since Bake Creation’s first year of business.
In 2021, they created a bovine-shaped biscuit for the Year of the Ox; the next three years saw treats made in conjunction with the Years of the Tiger, Rabbit and Dragon, respectively.
According to Wong, she was inspired to do so by the fancy assorted cookie boxes offered by Korean and Japanese bakeries.
“Using the zodiac to present the cookies is a unique and fun idea. Each sign can have a different design; for example, the bunny had a cute forest theme, while the dragon let us showcase traditional Chinese paper art.
“It’s a good approach to help our customers of different races learn more about Chinese culture,” she said.
The bakery aims to eventually complete all 12 signs of the zodiac: let’s check back in seven years to see if they are successful!
Bake Creation’s Sssnakey Cookie is included in their Snackey Assorted Cookies Box, which contains a total of nine cookies made from premium and imported ingredients.
The Sssnakey Cookie itself is made from royal icing, while the flavours of the other eight cookies are Nutty Florentine, Vanilla Snowball, Peanut Pandan Roll, Cheesy BBQ, Chicken Floss, Toasted Coconut, Gula Melaka Kuih Bangkit, and Chocolate Almond.
While snakes may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Wong is happy to report that this year’s cookies have thus far received excellent response. In fact, this has been her bakery’s highest-selling batch of CNY cookies so far.
“We hope our customers enjoy these cookies that we craft from our hearts. We’re truly grateful for their immense support,” Wong concluded.