We’ve talked about savoury snacks to try this festive season, including bak kwa. But it would be blasphemy to exclude the sugary stuff (everyone wants a sweet Year of the Pig ahead, right?). Below is our shortlist of the most interesting tidbits to tickle your sweet tooth’s fancy.

Cedele Pandan Ogura Cake, $22 for 400g (8 DAYS Pick!)

What is an ogura cake, you ask? It’s purportedly a Japanese-style sponge cake created in, ahem, Malaysia. But judging from most recipes we’ve seen, it looks very much like a Taiwanese-style castella/chiffon cake hybrid. Cedele’s steam-baked version is made with pure olive oil (though we couldn't taste it, thankfully, ’cos pairing pandan and olive oil sounds weird to us), and infused with freshly squeezed pandan juice. No artificial essence is used and it’s apparent from the intoxicating scent of the leaf as we slice into the ultra moist, cottony and perfumey cake sent to us by the cafe. Incredibly yummy, provided the same standard of lemak-ness is maintained during the busy CNY period. Available till Feb 19 at all Cedele outlets.

Thye Moh Chan Golden Yam Mochi, $3 a piece; $12 a four-piece box

The traditional Teochew piah is modernised with mochi — this baby has a smooth, lightly sweet yam paste filling wrapped within a flaky pastry shell. Its namesake black sugar mochi is a petite, chewy morsel nestling right in the centre of the piah like a sweet jewel. There isn’t enough mochi to go around if you share this. But fortunately, it’s delish enough that you can finish a whole piece by yourself. Available till Feb 19 at all Thye Moh Chan outlets.

Peony Jade Kaya Ondeh Cookies, $32.88 a tin

It’s dangerously easy to shovel piles of these munchkins into your gob. Each cookie is a lightly crunchy, delicate sliver, generously studded with fragrant chewy dried lychee flesh. Although the lychee scent overpowers the kaya we’re supposed to taste (there’s only but a faint whiff), we like its gentle floral flavour. Available till Feb 19 at Takashimaya Chinese New Year Bazaar, and two Peony Jade outlets including 3 River Valley Rd.

Ah Mah Homemade Cake Pineapple Cake, $12; feeds 4 to 6 pax

Ever wondered why the pineapple features so often during Chinese New Year? Well, the fruit is called ong lai in Hokkien, which means “prosperity is arriving”. Enter Ah Mah Homemade Cake’s seasonal Pineapple Cake this year. Think its signature fluffy, eggy castella cake lightly spritzed with the flavour of the fruit, and topped with slices of juicy sliced pineapples. Apparently, there are also bits of dried pineapples within the sponge, but we didn’t seem to spot any in our slice. Quite pleasant to eat, especially because it’s light and doesn't sit like a greasy rock in your belly, like most CNY goodies. Available till Feb 15 at all Ah Mah Homemade Cake outlets.

Keong Saik Bakery Milo Cornflakes, $13.80 a 140g bottle

Cornflake crisps are a pretty standard local CNY snack, so why not mix it with another crowd pleaser — Milo powder? These individually-packaged cookies from the quaint bakery-cafe on, yep, Keong Saik Road, look elegant and taste like chocolatey sablés with added crunch from crushed bits of cornflakes in them. We expect them to be very sweet, but they’re not so cloying that only kids will eat ’em. If you prefer something more sophisticated, go for the Ondeh Lychee Crunch ($13.80 for a 200g bottle). It’s spiked with coconut flakes, pandan paste and gula jawa with a hint of lychee flavour. Available till Feb 28 at Keong Saik Bakery, 41 Keong Saik Rd.

SPRMRKT Lemongrass Earl Grey Pineapple Tarts, $38.80 a 600g box

This is for gourmands who want extra oomph in their pineapple tarts. Each orb’s shortcrust pastry is infused with earl grey tea leaves so it boasts a strong bergamot aroma. It's wrapped around not-too-sweet, slightly tangy pineapple jam spiked with lemongrass (which sadly, we can’t really detect). Quite refreshing, and a worthy contender in the sea of CNY snacks clamouring for your attention. Available till Feb 10, SPRMRKT at STPI, 41 Robertson Quay.

Goodwood Park Drum of Fortune Cake, $108 a 1.2kg cake (feeds eight pax)

This exquisitely decorated red fondant cake-drum elicited impressed “oohs” and “aahs” from our colleagues when it was placed in front of them. It’s topped with eight mini fondant Mandarin oranges, gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins and ingots, and decorated with painstakingly-carved fondant lion knockers and the Chinese fu character. Very pretty. We cut the drum to reveal… surprise, surprise, a dense chocolate-and-butter marble cake that’s fairly buttery and moreish. Surely eating this is a lucky way to start your new year. Available till Feb 19. Order at least five days in advance from the Deli at Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Rd.

Violet Oon Pineapple Tarts, $28 a box of eight pieces

We’ve never had pineapple tarts that looked like this. At first glance, the almost palm-sized tarts resemble cute yellow baked mooncakes packed in a gorgeous, gift-worthy emerald green box. But they really are pineapple tarts. We like that the pastry is crisp and not limp like most commercial tarts, and the sweet Peranakan-style pineapple filling that’s slightly crunchy from bits of fruit. However, there’s a faint yet strange aftertaste in the pastry we can’t quite put our finger on. Could it be because the Violet Oon brand is now well and truly commercialised, and these are quite likely to be factory-made? Your guess is as good as ours. Available year-round from Violet Oon Singapore at Ion Orchard.

The Peranakan Sugee Cookies, $20 for 265g (8 DAYS Pick!) Truth be told, we’re not huge fans of sugee, and wanted to photograph the contents of this tin from The Peranakan restaurant before giving it away. However we couldn't resist popping one into our mouth when we saw how adorable these golden-brown orbs, each about the size of a mini chocolate Easter egg, were. They were so delicious, we couldn't stop till we were at cookie #10. Each rotund morsel is buttery, nutty with ground almonds and just faintly sandy from the semolina flour. It’s crumbly at first bite but quickly melts into a creamy puddle. Sedap and super addictive. Tip: buy this but skip the restaurant’s mediocre kueh bangkit. Available till the end of Chinese New Year, or while stocks last at The Peranakan, 442 Orchard Road, or order online at https://theperanakanshop.com/shop/cny-goodies.