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
Method:
- Sift flour into a bowl and mix in the sugar, milk flavour and nutmeg.
- Add the butter, using your hands, work, mix and rub in till you get a smooth crumbly mixture.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
this is lovely will try it this holidays
That’s the spirit. Give it a shot
Nice one!!!!
Thank you Oluchi
This is nice. I will try to make some. Keep it up and thanks
Sure do. Thanks
Nice one I give it tryer I love chin chin
Thanks Omolara
You didn’t add baking powder. Was thinking that’s what makes the chinchin crunchy? Is it? Would love to know. Thank you
No, I didn’t add baking powder. It is a raising agent that helps dough to rise when baking. I don’t see the need for it in Chinchin and never heard about the crunchy part too. The crunchiness depends on the the proportion of butter and type of liquid (egg, milk, water) used.
I am trying it now
How long does a chin chin takes
to get spoilt
I really can’t say but chinchin can last for weeks when fried well and stored in an airtight container.
I especially like the shapes made from the dough/chinchin, nice concept.
Thank you so much Adama.
Pls, how can I fry my chin chin without getting it burnt even though I tried to lowered the heat of my gas and also deep fried too. When I tried to fry the second set ,it soaked d oil sooo fast n I lowered d heat it was worse. Although my chin chin came out really delicious, but it got burnt or it had much oil in it. I did d soft type.
Chinwe, i think the temperature was too high initially and then you lowered the heat too much thereafter. You need to find a balance, use the medium heat of your gas and see if it works.
Getting the recipe here finally 😐
I hope you’ll love it. 🙂
I like the shapes of the chin chin, a great concept. Please, is it necessary to add curry mixed spices?
Curry? Mixed Spices? Not in Chin-Chin Juliet.
My chin chin is too soft what can I do to make it more crunchy?
Hi Annie, reduce the butter and make sure your dough is not too soft.
Thanks so much, finally I can make chinchin. I followed the instruction and my chin chin came out nice, crunchy and sweet. Thanks a lot. I want to know how to make cake, meat pie nd bread very wekk. You a one in a million.
That’s great Fidelia. Let’s keep our fingers crossed on the others.
Superb receipe. Thanks a lot. Enjoying my chin chin.
Thank you so much for the feedback Cecile.
Is one tea spoon of salt too much for nine cups of floor for chin chin?
Chinenye, it is not too much.
Hi what’s d measurement to make like one custard paint rubber of chin chin plssssss.
Hi Joy, i am not sure as i have never poured mine in a paint bucket but i’m thinking you may use up to 1.5kg of flour to get that quantity.
Thank you for this recipe. I tried it and my chin chin came out nice. My family members really loved it
Wow, that’s great Frances. Thank you for using and enjoying the recipe, as well as feeding back here.
It was nice
Thanks Kenny.
Pls how do I make my chinchin last long and really crunchy
Morenike, i don’t know how long you want to have it last. Always put your chinchin in an airtight container or bag to keep it fresh for long.
I want to make chin-chin with 1Derica cup of flour what are the quantities of ingredients I will add to make crunchy
Nkechinyere, i don’t know what the measurement is. If you can use a weighing scale to measure the quantity that fills that derica cup, then use my measurement idea to recalculate the rest of the ingredients.
Can I use milk flavor and still add liquid milk
Surely you can if you want Nkechinyere.
Can baking powder be used
Chichi, if you want to. It’s optional.
Can honey be used to make chin-chin instead of sugar
Now, that is something you can try Nkechinyere. Sounds interesting.
can the dough be put in the fridge over night and used in the morning ?
Yes Mercy, you can do that.
Thanks
You are welcome
Thanks so much ma’am for sharing ur recipes with us I’ve always wondered how to make my chin chin soft &crunchy until I saw your recipe and discovered my butter was the problem so I tried suing ur recipe by increasing my butter and it came out nicly so soft and crunchy thank you ma’am fir helping me sove my problem with chin chin. Regina
Great feedback Regina. Thank you so much.
Thanks madam, but please is baking powder or yeast not needed in making chin chin?, and if you want to keep it for a long time can we but preservatives
Ogechi,
From my recipe, you can see there is no need for that. Chinchin can be preserved well by storing in an air tight container. I have never used preservatives, though it doesn’t last long in my house to warrant that.
I just finished kneading my dough but can’t cut tonight, can I leave it till tomorrow?
I guess you are done by now but sure you can but wrap in a cling film or cellophane and put in the fridge. Hope it came out fine.
Please can you give me appropriate measurement for 3 mudu of chin chin because I want it to come out fine thanks
.
Joy, I don’t know as I’ve never done it. You can use the recipe to make until you get the quantity you want
I love d design on d chin Chin how can I get one. D chinchin cutter I got don’t have those sweet design
Love, I don’t have it now. Maybe when I get it, i’ll do a giveaway. Keep following my facebook page.
i made my chin chin,only 500 grams but it soaked all the oil i used,i used 75cl of oil and it finished ,the raw chin chin still remained.
The quantity of oil you stated is way too small to fry chinchin with. Chinchin is deep fried meaning that your oil should be big enough up to 3/4 of your pot. Also you don’t fry too much at a time else it will soak…maybe that’s what happened to you.
I ve not made my chin chin yet.I bought 5 measures of flour
5 margerines
1 measure of sugar.
1 create of egg
Baking powder and
I vanilla flavour.
My prblm is dt i dont know wat quantity to use for the 5 measures flour.Pls ma,help me.
Hello Nancy, there is no unit of measure that is called ‘measures’. You need to know what was used to get that quantity of flour, like cup or was it weighed in grams or kilo, or pounds.
I made my chinchin on Christmas day, followed the steps, nd it was nice.
Great. I’m glad it turned out well.
i will try the steps for my new year chin chin
Sure do Angela, and I’ll love your feedback.
i love ur recipe it was really helpful. thanks
You are very welcome Sarah
how many servings does this make?
Zara, i really don’t know as i have never checked that neither do i know anyone who has, especially for this.
after trying alot of recipes,i must say yours is exactly what i have been looking for. soft and crunchy plus delicious. now i dont have to worry about my toddler stressing his teeth to crack chin chin. God bless you loads
Bless you too Fatima. Thanks so much
please can I add a grinded cinnamon. those types of chin chin d sale at Lagos islands, how do d make please. very sweet and flat
Sure you can add cinnamon. I don’t know the ones you are talking about.
my chin chin is so hard pls do you know the reason
I don’t know. It may depend on the quantity of butter you used.
Pls ma have not done my chin chin yet but want to make one paint of flour. Pls ma what is/are the measurement(s) for the ingredient to be used for one paint.
Thanks a lot ma.
Tonia, I am really not sure the quantity that makes up one paint of flour. Anytime I do, I will get back to you, otherwise use my measurements and multiply all the ingredients to get the quantity you want.
pls wat can i but in my chin chin dat will make it soft
Follow the recipe Esther
Am very happy to hear this ma but can I use preservatives powder to preserve it. Like the one used for cake
Chinchin does not need preservative as far as I know. It is fried and doesn’t tend to go bad likecake
Thanks ma, u really help me now your receipe is so good
Thanks so much Mispa
Lovely, I’m so making it
I love the steps you took in making your chi chin.
Mine didn’t come out soft.it was strong though tasty.
What can I use to make it softer when next I want to make another one.
Lovelyn, if you used exactly my measurements, it will come out good.
Excellent recipe chioma kip it up my chin chin is tasty, crunchy nd delicious. My children(twins) luv it, I feel like doing it ova again. Thanks nd God bless u.
Thank you so much for this feedback Mrs Onyedikachi. I do appreciate it and much love to twinnies 🙂
Wow! Mine came out great… This is d best recipe ever! Pls can i use honey?
Great Jessica. You can try it but being a liquid, you may have to adjust some ingredients like flour I would think.
Wow, this is great. I have been making chi chin, but your recipe is so on point.made these now. Thank you so much.
Great Debby. Glad you liked it
is liquid milk optional? what if I want to use powder alone
Of course it is optional. I personally prefer the taste
How about i add barking powder
Hello Ifeoma, it is okay to add baking powder if you like.
Good morning pls I want to know if it’s possible to use groundnut oil to make the dough instead of butter
Cynthia, I have never used groundnut oil and I can’t say how it will turn out. I think the result will be different even in taste too.
Wow I so much love you chin chin so crunchy and delicious
But is good to add cake softener to make it softer
Hi,if I don’t have measuring cups,can I use milk tin?
yes you can
Can l add baking powder if yes what measurement for five cups of four.
You can if if you want.
Please I use one paint of flour,I sachet of milk flavor,to sachets of DA no milk,2eggs, 1sachet of butter and nutmeg and my chinchin is still hard.pls tell me where I made a mistake
Aisha, I am not sure why but if you followed my measurement, it wont be hard.
Thank you so much, I have been using this your recipe and it always comes out tasty,soft, & crunchy at the same time. The best recipe! God bless you.
You are very welcome.
Should I level d flour wen measuring it or I should leave it heaped
Heaped is our usual way.
I want to try mine today hope it comes out excellent
Hope it turned out well
Thanks for sharing this,I’ll try it on Eid day
You are welcome and hope it turned out well.
Thks I will try it 2day
Thanks so much for this , may God continue to bless you, have tried it and it comes out yummy yummy
Glad you liked it.
Thanks for sharing this.I will try it one day
You are welcome