Nigerian ChinChin: Tasty, Soft and Crunchy

The Nigerian Chin-chin is one Christmas family tradition that we always made while growing up. We (my siblings and I) always had fun helping mum with the cutting of the rolled dough into various shapes before they were fried.

I replicated that fun with my daughter and some other children in the family. It was fun ‘playing with the dough’ and cutting the shapes. The cookie and gingerbread man chin-chin was a spur of the moment idea. It was less dangerous for the kids and more fun rather than cutting with knives.

I am not an expert on Nigerian chin-chin but I got measurement ideas from the seller and other buyers in the market, where I bought my ingredients. The chin-chin, I must say, came out perfectly crunchy, soft and sweet…I’m scared it won’t see Christmas and I’m getting ready to fry more.

May I take this time to appreciate you all for loving what I do. The comments, feedbacks, private messages, encouragement and all makes me determined to think up more food ideas for our children. The coming year will bring greater things for me and you and here is wishing you all my fans and followers a very merry Christmas.

How to make Chin-Chin

Ingredients:

• 5 cups flour/900g flour plus an extra cup for sprinkling and kneading.
• 250g butter/margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 150 ml milk (I dissolved 3tbsp of powdered milk in 150ml of water)
• 2tbsp of powdered milk flavour (you can substitute and use evaporated milk but you will have to reduce the quantity of the milk above and add this to make it up.
• 1 big nutmeg (grated)
• Vanilla flavour (optional)
• Oil for deep frying

(You will need a clean smooth working surface and a rolling pin. if you don’t have a rolling pin, get an old beer or gin bottle, wash clean roll away.  The bottle of cashew nut I bought earlier was my saving grace)

Try these snacks too

Groundnut Dough Balls

Carrot Cake

Banana Akara

Method:

1. Sift flour into a bowl and mix in the sugar, milk flavour and nutmeg.
2. Add the butter, using your hands, work, mix and rub in till you get a smooth crumbly mixture.
3. Break the eggs into a bowl, whisk well, add 3/4 of the milk to the egg, together with the vanilla flavour if using it. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the milk-egg liquid.
4. Gently combine the mixture together, using both hands. Start first by covering the liquid with the flour and then continue mixing till you get a firm dough that cleans off from the bowl. Cover for half an hour. 
5. Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface, take a good chunk of the dough, knead and then flatten on the surface. Use your rolling pin or bottle and roll the dough flat and smooth. Cut into your desired shapes and styles. Sprinkle a little flour on them to keep from clumping together.
6. Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown. Chin-chin normally gets burnt very fast, especially the last batch that is scooped out when it’s done. Try to regulate the temperature of your oil by lowering the heat when scooping out the cooked dough, as well as when adding fresh ones to fry.

Have you made your Chin-Chin? Are you still going to make yours? Share your Chin-Chin shapes with Mummy’s Yum on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #chinchinfunwithmummysyum. Let’s enjoy the Christmas and Holidays fun!