While most consumers order cookies for Hari Raya, some still bake their own

Ruzanna with her husband Syazwan Hakim and their young children. Ruzanna hopes to continue her baking business when her kids are in secondary school. — RUZANNA MOHD NAWAWI

A few decades ago, Hari Raya cookies, or kuih Raya, were mostly homemade. During Ramadan evenings after tarawih prayers, or on weekend mornings after sahur, mothers would be in the kitchen, shaping dough into cookies before baking them. And children were their diligent helpers. Kids who were not of fasting age got warm, freshly-made cookies as reward.

Traditional cookies include sugee cookies, pineapple tart, Milo cookies and semperit, just to name a few. And if there were supplies of tapioca or bananas, some even make their own kerepek.