Chinese Almond Cookies
Happy Year of the Rabbit!
I know I’m a day late, but pulling together a 35 slide powerpoint lab meeting presentation prevented me from posting this yesterday. But don’t let the passing of New Year’s day prevent you from enjoying these buttery little cookies- they are quick to pull together and are perfect on non-New Year’s days, particularly with tea.
These cookies remind me of the favorites we would get from Chinese bakeries in San Francisco when I was little- buttery and a bit crumbly, just slightly sweet, with a lovely subtle almond flavor. And happily crinkled tops.
So happy.
Here’s to the new year, may you have the best health, love, and happiness in this year!
Chinese Almond Cookies
from use real butter
makes abut 42 1-inch cookies
3 cups (375 g) flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (60 g) almond flour (ground almonds) (I ground a heaping 1/2 cup of whole almonds in the food processor)
12 oz. butter, softened
1 cup (210 g) sugar
1 egg
1 oz. water
1 tsp almond extract
42 whole almonds, blanched
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground almonds together in a bowl.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
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Add the egg, water, and almond extract and beat until incorporated.
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Beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Form 1-inch balls of cookie dough, placed a few inches apart (for spreading) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top each dough ball with an almond and brush the top of the cookie with egg wash.
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Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes (optional step, I found this wasn’t necessary). If you do refrigerate the dough, the recipe calls for 20 minutes of baking time. If not refridgerating, bake for 15-17 minutes, until tops are golden brown. If refridgerating, bake for about 20 minutes.
