Chinese Almond Cookies are deliciously crunchy little desserts with a whole almond in the center, symbolizing good luck.
Chinese Almond Cookies
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Chinese Almond Cookies is my recipe of the day with the blogging group Sunday Funday. We get together on Sundays to post some of our favorite recipes on various topics.
This week we are sharing Christmas cookies from around the world. For my recipe, I have Chinese Almond Cookies.
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These have long been a favorite of mine to end the meal at Chinese restaurants. Time was, these were brought to the table at the end of the meal in about fifty percent of restaurants.
Now we are lucky to get a fortune cookie (or misfortune cookie, as we like to call them, if the paper fortune has gone missing!)
Luck is the fortune of these cookies, as symbolized by the almond. The almonds I use are whole, blanched as seen in that they are creamy colored with no skins. You want the whole ones if you are superstitious about the luck.
Sunday Funday
Christmas Cookies Around the World
- Sneha’s Recipe presents Cashew Cherry Cookies
- Palatable Pastime serves up Chinese Almond Cookies
- Culinary Adventures with Camilla gives us Hojarascas (Mexican Shortbread Cookies)
- Mayuri’s Jikoni shares Karachi Biscuits
- A Good Life plates Mexican Tea Cookies
- A Day in the Life on the Farm discovers South African Double Crunchers
- Amy’s Cooking Adventures has Stained Glass Ornament Cookies with Orange & Cinnamon
- Making Miracles presents Swedish Snowball Cookies
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories gives us Zimsterne – German Christmas Cookies
Chinese Almond Cookies
These are quite easy to mix and bake. And they take twenty minutes per pan, with three pans. I won’t assume you can do more than one in the bake time.
They are crisp and dense, with a texture similar to peanut butter cookies. The dough reminded me of those as well. But the flavor is truly almond.
Be sure to serve them up with a steaming pot of jasmine or oolong tea.
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Hungarian Poppyseed Pinwheel Cookies
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Italian Anisette Cookies
Finally, Italian Anisette Cookies are delicate Italian cake-like cookies flavored with anise and decorated with a simple glaze and sprinkles.
Chinese Almond Cookies
These cookies pack well and are great to ship. So for Christmas cookies, they are perfect. Plus, you will want to bake up a batch for the Lunar New Year. It will be the year of the Tiger.
Chinese Almond Cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheet; parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond meal (almond flour)
- 36 whole blanched almonds
- 1 egg white (beaten until frothy)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cream together the butter, shortening and granulated sugar.
- Add the egg and extracts, then add the salt, baking powder, almond meal and all-purpose flour, mixing into a stiff dough.
- Measure out with a level cookie scoop and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Gently flatten the dough and press a blanched almond into the center of each.
- Add two teaspoons water to the egg white, and brush the tops of each cookie with a silicone brush or pastry brush.
- Bake for twenty minutes.
- Cool on wire racks.
Notes
Nutrition
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I adore Chinese Almond Cookies. One of my weaknesses.
I’ve never had one of these before but they’re definitely going on my “to make” list!
These have always been a favorite of mine! Thanks for the recipe.
I love Chinese Cookies, but haven’t tried baking them at home. Sue, your recipe is easy to follow, going to try out these cookies soon.