Chinese almond cookies recipe
Bring good luck and fortune with these classic Chinese almond cookies! These cookies are easy to make (with just 8 ingredients), buttery, nutty, and no mixer needed. Makes 19-20 cookies.
Servings: 20 cookies
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 2.5 tbsp coconut brown sugar
- 1 large whole egg
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 240 gram super fine ground blanched almond flour I use Bob’s red mill, see notes (8.43 oz)
- 1 gram baking powder (1/4 tsp)
- 1 large egg yolk whisked
- 19-20 whole almonds see notes
Tools:
- Large mixing bowl
- Silicone spatula
- Digital kitchen scale
- Baking sheet pan
- Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Cooling rack
Instructions
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, sugar, 1 whole egg, and almond extract. Use a fork to mash and mix them until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour and baking powder. Stir with a silicone spatula until the flour is fully incorporated and a dough forms with no visible white streaks.
- Chill the dough: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Smooth the dough: Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to a silicone baking mat. Gently use your hand to roll the dough for about 10-15 seconds to smooth it out. It will feel moist and soft, which is completely normal. Avoid over-rolling to prevent the cookies from becoming dry and tough.
- Form the dough balls: Roll the dough into small balls, each weighing 23 grams (or just over 1.5 tablespoons of dough per ball). You should have 19-20 balls.
- Prepare the baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place the dough balls on the sheet, leaving some space between each one.
- Create indentations: Use your index finger to gently press an indentation in the center of each ball, being careful not to press too deeply. Leave some height to maintain the cookie's thickness. If the edges split slightly, it’s okay! If any splits are too wide, pinch the dough gently to keep it together.
- Brush the egg wash and almond: Brush each cookie with a layer of whisked egg yolk. Gently press a whole almond into the indentation of each cookie.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies turn golden brown and the aroma fills the kitchen.
- Let the cookies cool: Remove the baking sheet from the oven, but don't touch or move the cookies yet. They will be soft and could fall apart if transferred too soon.
- Transfer to a cooling rack: Once the cookies are no longer piping hot and firm up slightly, carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a glass of cold milk or royal milk tea!
Video
Notes
- Use fine ground almond flour (not almond meal): Almond flour and almond meal are different. Almond flour is made from blanched almonds and finely ground for a smooth texture. Almond meal includes the skins and is coarser, which can make cookies grainy.
- Almond extract: The small amount of almond extract adds a concentrated flavor to the cookies, making the flavor really pops so don’t skip it.
- Whole almond garnish: you can use either raw and un-roasted or roasted and lightly salted. The roasted version will give a darker color appearance. For reference, I use raw and un-roasted whole almonds.
- Refrigerate dough (make-ahead): You can refrigerate the dough (steps 1 to 3 up to 3 days in advance). Wrap the dough tightly in a cling wrap and store in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
- Freeze dough: You can freeze the dough (complete steps 1 to 3) for up to 1 month. Roll the dough into a log and wrap it tightly with a cling wrap then store in a freezer friendly bag. To use, defrost it overnight in the fridge.
- Storage: Store cookies (no longer hot) in an airtight container in the fridge. Best finish in 3-4 days.
- Air fry: Line the air fryer basket, air fry at 320°F (160 °C) for 10 mins.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 907kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 79g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 44g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 1007mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Calcium: 397mg | Iron: 6mg