Every year, Chinese New Year gets more exciting, as my daughter Ilse begins to grasp the concept of time and holidays. One of my favorite aspects of Chinese New Year is the gifting of sweets to family to wish our loved ones a sweet life for the new year. As an update to last year’s Chinese New Year post, I want to share a fantastic recipe for Chinese Almond Cookies. I had only had them in Chinese restaurants, where the tiny cookies were served after a hearty dinner. I scoured several cookbooks and online recipe sites. This one is adapted from Simply. Gung Hey Fat Choy!
Chinese Almond Cookies
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Makes 2-3 dozen cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/3 cups of almond flour,
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon of almond extract
- 1 3/4 cups of rice flour*
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- Lightly toasted sliced or slivered almonds.
*I used rice flour for a lighter texture. The original called for all-purpose flour.
STEPS
1 | Place the almond flour, salt, and butter into the food processor and mix until crumbly, about 2 minutes.
2 | Add one of the eggs, reserving the other for later, and the almond extract. Process until just incorporated.
3 | Stir together the flour, sugar, and baking soda then add to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
4 | Line your counter with wax paper. Take the dough out of the food processor and place on the wax paper. Shape into a log about 12-18 inches long and wrap in wax paper and then in plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator to chill 2-3 hours or overnight.
5 | When ready to bake: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the reserved egg in bowl and lightly beat it with a fork. Set aside.
6 | Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Slice log into ½ inch or ¼ inch rounds.Place the cookie dough rounds on the baking sheet, about ½ inch apart.
7 | Brush the cookies with the reserved egg and place a few sliced almonds on top of each cookie.
8 | Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack.
