Author’s Blurb: This Raya is going to be one that we’ve probably never experienced before in our lifetime. There will be no balik kampung (returning to hometowns), giving salam (greetings), or kenduri (feasts). However, one thing that we can all still enjoy at least are kuih Raya.
I’m not quite sure how Raya treats (referring to cakes and biscuits) are usually bought as I’ve never been the one responsible for the purchases, though I have seen some pop-up stores in malls around this time.
Nowadays, it seems that Instagram has become a popular platform for bakers to sell their seasonal treats, Raya ones included.
I’d put this down to the fact that Instagram is a visuals-first platform, so it’s much easier for our attention to be caught and for us to actually see what these treats look like.
As I scrolled through several hashtags on Instagram, I noticed that a lot of the treats you’d find look like the common ones that everyone and their mother could probably make.
However, there are a few online sellers taking it one step further and putting their own special touch to their treats.
1. bliciousseries.hq
bliciousseries.hq is an Instagram account run by 4 siblings who began selling their treats full-time in 2010 to help lessen their mother’s burden, according to a sibling named Zac who spoke to us.
None of them had formal baking education before they started, simply working by trial and error. A few years later, they attended a few cookie baking classes, but realised they had already developed their own style of producing cookies. Today, about 90% of their cookies are made with their own recipes.
During festive seasons like Raya, they’ll bake about 60 types of cookies that cost RM28 up to RM150.
Some of their treats that caught my eye were their Vampire Cadbury and Nutella Doughnut cookies, and their Kek Lapis Cadbury.
By working with stockists and agents, they’re able to distribute their treats all over West Malaysia in 5 to 7 days, while for customers who reside in Sabah and Sarawak, orders will take about 2 to 3 weeks to be delivered.
If you’d like to make an order, you can DM them on Instagram to get information about their agents/stockists closest to you.
2. chemilanmlaysia
What Chemilan has to offer ranges from sweet to savoury, but what I found interesting was their Choc-O range of sweet treats.
Their chocolates are moulded in the form of Lego-like building blocks, which I have to admit I’ve never seen being sold as a Raya treat before.
They sell it on its own, but are also offering a product called Choc-O Krunch which combines the building block chocolates, chocolate chip cookies, cereal chocolate, and melted chocolate, all in one container.
The pricing for Choc-O Krunch is RM9.90 for one container, and RM25 for 3 containers.
While they haven’t responded to my enquiries about their delivery times, they do state in their bio that they deliver all across Malaysia through their agents.
You could reach out to them via DM or WhatsApp them at +6014 2465091 for more information.
3. heavenlymoonbakery
The baker behind heavenlymoonbakery is Sumayyah, who started her journey as an Instagram seller in January 2019. Before that, she was a sales merchandiser.
After converting to Islam in 2016, she found it difficult to find halal authentic Chinese mooncakes, her favourite dessert.
She’s been working on heavenlymoonbakery full-time since she started it, and everything that she’s created has been entirely self-taught.
What’s unique about her Raya treats are that they aren’t cookies or cakes per se, but mooncakes of regular and mini sizes.
Called ‘Baby Mooncake’, the mini mooncakes come in 3 flavours: red bean, pandan, and mung bean, all with almond nibs and Callebaut callets, a type of chocolate drop.
Depending on the flavours and sizes of mooncakes you choose to get, the price can range from RM8 to RM48.
Deliveries are mostly done in the Johor Bahru area, but for orders located outside of the area, Sumayyah will deliver them via courier service which takes about 2 to 8 days.
If you’d like Sumayyah’s treats for this Raya, you can WhatsApp her at +6011 6126 6826.
4. hijausweetstudio_
hijausweetstudio_ is run by Ana, a mother of 5 and a full-time housewife. She’s always loved art and baking, but only began selling her creations earlier this year.
The decorative sugar cookie craft she’s learnt came from books and websites, as she’s also entirely self-taught.
She’s able to recreate cartoon characters on the cookies as well as come up with her own designs, some of which are her Ramadhan design and her medical nurse cookies in appreciation of our healthcare frontliners.
If you wish to order from her, she requests that you make your pre-orders at least 2-4 weeks beforehand, and you can do self-pickup at Taman Raintree, Batu Caves.
Otherwise, she uses public postage such as PosLaju and J&T Express for deliveries around Lembah Klang. In 1 to 3 days after ordering, customers can expect to receive their goods.
At the moment, her treats can cost RM15 to RM30/box depending on the design and quantity.
To order, you can DM her on Instagram, or WhatsApp her at +6012 271 9001.
5. keempossible
Keem has been a passionate baker since young, and she taught herself how to bake from watching her mother’s techniques, exploring cookbooks, watching TV baking shows and YouTube tutorials.
She only began selling her bakes after getting news of the MCO being extended into its third phase, although she’s always gotten requests for orders but never took them on.
Since she’s not able to go to her full-time job as a piano and vocal teacher nor her part-time job as a baking instructor, she’s taking this opportunity to make some money and share her bakes with people.
I must admit that I’ve never quite seen cake art like Keem’s before (particularly regarding her Deco Roll cakes), hence why I was drawn to her meticulous craft.
Currently, she only takes orders for her Deco Roll cakes, and at a flat rate of RM80, you can choose any designs that she’s created.
After opening up her keempossible account to orders, she’s received an overwhelming response with orders to fulfil all the way up to May 18, 2020.
For deliveries, she only covers Klang Valley, and you can make an order with her via DM.
6. moonandbake
Ewin runs moonandbake, an account that bakes and sells cookies, cakes, and tarts. She began baking as early as 2015 after she had trouble finding a pavlova for her best friend’s birthday.
She went around various bakeries and cake shops in Johor Bahru, but just couldn’t find one. The next day, she decided to bake it herself. It went well, surprising even herself.
Before she transitioned to being a full-time baker in 2017, she worked as an interior designer and only baked during her weekends or days off.
The prices of her Raya treats range from RM10 to RM45, and if you’re interested in topping up your order with a cake (usually designed for weddings or birthdays), it’ll cost RM50 to RM250.
While her treats are simple in design, I’d say you’d be hard pressed to find similar ones in mall pop-up stores. Some that stood out to me were the Kek Tapak Kuda Nutella, Milky Oreo, and Nutella Pods cookies.
The areas that Ewin delivers to are Pasir Gudang, Skudai, and Senai in Johor Bahru. Usually she’ll take orders at least 2 days in advance, though shae also has ready stock for selected desserts. Delivery slots for moonandbake’s treats run from 12PM to 4PM daily.
To order, you can DM moonandbake’s Instagram or WhatsApp Ewin at +6011 3967 7387.
7. nurha.dean
In the Ramadhan of 2017, Nurha began selling cookies, drawing on the knowledge she learnt from her mother as well as her experience of being born into a family of entrepreneurs.
She learnt actual recipes from cookbooks, techniques from YouTube, and inspiration on new flavours and designs from the internet.
Her full-time career is as a property assistant at Menara Suezcap, and she only sells her cookies during Ramadhan and special occasions like weddings.
Her Raya treats on nurha.dean look like mini donuts in cookie form, decorated with colours that pop, and they sell for about RM35 for 54 pieces.
If you stay in Cheras, Ampang, Langat, Selayang, Gombak, Wangsa Maju, Shah Alam, and Petaling Jaya, count yourself lucky, because that’s where Nurha delivers to.
For those in Penang, she employs the help of an agent to sell her treats via postage. After placing an order, you can expect to receive it in 2 to 3 days.
Bottom Line: Gifting these treats to someone will be sure to brighten up their Raya, and they’re a nice change from the pineapple tarts or butter biscuits that we have every single Raya. I’ve personally stopped eating a bunch of Raya treats because I’m bored of the ones we usually get.
- You can read about other Malaysian startups here.
Featured Image Credit: keempossible / nurha.dean
