Most crisp Chinese style almond cookie.
Chinese almond cookie is one of the yummy and crunchy Chinese style pastries, usually made for festivals (Chinese New Year). It has been the most popular snack for children in my family for years. Similar cookies include Chinese walnut cookie and butter cookie.
The original recipe is published 4 years ago but I changed the recipe a lot in this year’s new version. In order to make the cookies much crispier, I use almond flour in the dough. Please note, since we add almond flour and relatively a smaller amount of liquid in the dough, there will be cracks on the surface. Cracks indicate the successfully produced crisp texture. If you want to eliminate the cracks on the surface, use less flour and make the dough softer.
Almond flour not only brings the cookie a aroma of almond, but also changes the texture.
Cream butter with egg yolk, sugar and almond extract in a large mixing bowl and then sift salt, cake flour, almond flour and baking soda. Combine all the ingredients together and then knead into a dough. Cover with plastic wrapper and refrigerate for 1 hour (optional in winter).
Preheat the oven to 170 degree C. Divide the dough into 16 similar pieces and then shape each one into a round ball. Slightly flat with fingers (or if you prefer a cuter pattern, you can use forks). Then decorate whole almond in the center. Optionally, brush the egg wash.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes and then let the cookies stay in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Transfer to cooling rack until completely cooled. Then package with air-tight container.
Chinese Almond Cookie
Ingredients
- 115 g butter ,softened in room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ tsp. almond extract
- 120 g cake flour
- 60 g almond flour
- 1 small pinch of salt
- 35 g to 40g sugar
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 16 whole almonds for decoration
egg wash
- 1 tbsp. egg liquid + 1 tbsp. water
Instructions
- Cream butter with egg yolk, sugar and almond extract in a large mixing bowl and then sift salt, cake flour, almond flour and baking soda.
- Combine all the ingredients together and then knead into a dough. Cover with plastic wrapper and refrigerate for 1 hour (optional in winter).
- Pre-heat oven to 170 degree C.
- Divide the dough into 16 similar pieces and then shape each one into a round ball. Slightly flat with fingers (or if you prefer a cuter pattern, you can use forks). Then decorate whole almond in the center. Optionally, brush the egg wash.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes and then let the cookies stay in the oven for another 10 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack until completely cooled. Then package with air-tight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nina
Hi Elaine,
I thought of making this recipe today. Could you please confirm if it requires only one egg yolk or one whole egg for the dough. Thanks!
Elaine
Nina,
Only one egg yolk is needed.
Nina
Elaine
I forgot to mention that I couldn’t see where in your recipe to add the egg yolk for making the dough. So I beat in the egg yolk after creaming the butter and sugar.
And the remaining egg white was used to glaze the cookies later before baking.☺️
Elaine
Egg yolk is creamed with butter and sugar in my recipe. But it is ok to add it in only stage of making the dough.
Diego Lopes
These almond cookies look just like the one my grandma used to make. I'm totally gonna give them a try!
Jude
Thank you, Elaine! I lived in Vancouver's Chinatown after I left school and there was a little Chinese bakery where I bought crispy almond cookies. They were totally unlike North American almonds cookies. I loved them! Your cookies look very much like those I bought.
Friends are having a large farewell get-together and I was asked if I'd bring some finger foods, preferably Chinese since friends know I cook a lot of Asian food. I'm very hopeful these will taste like my beloved almond cookies (that I haven't had in many decades as sadly, the tiny bakery is long gone).
yeseul
is it a must refrigerate the dough? although its not winter time.
Elaine
Although in winter time, I still recommend refrigerating it because it becomes quite soft after kneading.
Stephen L
Do you have this recipe in imperial measurement? Flour in cups and butter in tablespoon or cup?
Elaine
Stephen,
I will write up a post helping readers converting grams to cups soon. Keep returning.
Miranda
According to Google and my math,
115g butter = 1/2 cup
120g cake flour = 1 cup
60g almond flour = 0.6 cup which would be a little less than 2/3
35 to 40g of sugar would be 3 tablespoons
Have you tried making these with 1/2 butter and 1/2 lard?
It's a bit confusing reading the questions that I presume are about the old recipe.
e.g. No longer using powdered sugar but regular cane sugar?
Elaine
Thanks Miranda for your kindness of proving me the measurement. I will update this as a reference.
Yes, I have updated the recipe and there are some differences between the two versions.
By the way, I have not tried with lard version yet. Batter seems to be more aromatic.
Meredith
Thank you for this lovely recipe. I would appreciate clarification regarding the baking time. The directions state “bake for 18-20 minutes and then let the cookies stay in the oven....”.
Is it safe to assume that after 20 minutes of baking the oven is then turned off and the cookies remain in the oven for another10 minutes?
Thank you for your response.
Elaine
Yes,Meredith. After 20 minutes baking, turn off the oven and let the cookie stay for another 10 minutes.
Pam Nowell
I was wondering if there was a recipe using Tbs. instead of grams. Also F instead of 170 c. Thanks very much If not then I'll google the conversions. Sincerely Pam Nowell.
Elaine
Pam,
I will try to provide both measurement in further recipes. Thanks so much for your suggestion.
Jo
Hi
If I was to obtain a non cracked surface, how much flour should be used?
Elaine
I would suggest using 100g flour.
Joyce Foo
I have been looking for this recipe for a Long time. I always love eating this cookie sold in biscuit shops in the market as a tea time snack
Connie
The white powder in question was probably baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon would work, contributes to crispiness. also maybe a pinch of salt. Thanx for this recipe - can't wait to try it. Also, using 100% almond flour would not work at all