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Chinese Almond Cookies on a plate surrounded by tea in a cup.
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5 from 4 votes

Chinese Almond Cookies (杏仁餅)

Chinese Almond Cookies are sinfully buttery. The secret to their deep nutty flavor is to toast the almonds until golden and smoky!
Prep Time50 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Servings: 8
Calories: 485kcal
Author: Jeannette

Equipment

  • Food processor/ziplock bag and rolling pin

Ingredients

  • 300 g / 1 1/4 US cup plain flour
  • 200 g / 1 US cup raw almond
  • 80 g / 2/3 US cup icing sugar (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 150 mL / 0.6 US cup cooking oil

Instructions

  • Sift and combine the flour, baking soda, salt and icing sugar in a bowl.
  • Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
  • Toast the almonds in a pan on low heat for 10 minutes or until golden, then let it cool completely. Use a food processor to blitz until sandy. Alternatively, put the almonds in a ziplock bag and beat at them with a rolling pin.
    Note: If you like chunky bits, don't process it too fine.
  • Mix the ingredients with the oil and knead until it forms a smooth dough.
  • Take roughly 1.5 tbsp dough at a time and roll into a ball. Gently flatten it between your palms until about 0.8cm (0.3") thick. Use a knuckle or thumb to press lightly in the center to create a shallow dent.
    Optional: Press an almond into the dent.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
  • Serve hot as is!

Notes

  • Use lard. Replace the oil with homemade lard (instructions on how to render fat can be found here). This will give the cookie extra fragrance. The way it crumbles will also be more delicate.
  • Let the dough rest overnight. Wrap it up and keep it in the fridge so the dough can rise. This also gives the ingredients a chance to infuse deeper flavors.
  • Avoid over-kneading. The more your work the dough, the tougher it will become.
  • You can use almond meal instead of making your own with raw almonds.
  • For the oil, opt for a neutral tasting one like vegetable, peanut, canola or rice bran.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg