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Chinese almond cookies are a trademark in Chinese-American cooking. Often relegated as a second string sweet to the more entertaining fortune cookie these don’t get the respect they deserve!
Sure, they don’t tell you what a charming personality you have or offer a string of lotto numbers, but they do have a crisp bite and delightfully sandy texture.
Almond flour, almond extract, and slivered almonds ensure that you get an intense flavor that will eclipse any paper filled treat.
Set out a plate of these for the upcoming Chinese New Year. Almond cookies symbolize coins and will be sure to bring you good fortune. Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Chinese Almond Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups of almond flour, lightly packed
- 1 cup of unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of almond extract
- 1 3/4 cups of flour
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- Thinly sliced almonds
Method
1 Beat almond flour, salt, butter: Place the almond flour, salt, and butter into an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for three minutes. The mixture will become coarse and chunky looking.
2 Add one of the eggs, reserving the other for later, and the almond extract. Mix on low speed until just incorporated.
3 Sift together the flour, sugar, and baking soda then add to the butter mixture at low speed. Mix until just combined.
4 Chill the dough: Take the dough and flatten it into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for two hours to chill.
5 Prep oven, baking sheet, egg: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the other egg into a bowl and beat it.
6 Flatten balls of dough onto cookie sheet: Take pieces of dough and roll them into balls about three-quarters-of-an-inch wide. Place them on the sheet about an inch apart and then press them down slightly with your palm to make a coin shape.
7 Place a slivered almond onto each cookie and lightly press it into place, then paint the surface of the cookie with some of the beaten egg using a pastry brush or your finger (this will give the cookie a lacquered appearance once it bakes).
8 Bake at 325°F for 13-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to tan. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack.
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Garrett McCord is a professional writer and recipe developer whose work has appeared in many print and online publications such as Gourmet Live, Saveur, Huffington Post, Smithsonian, and NPR. Past clients also include numerous food companies, wineries, and distilleries. Garrett writes about cocktails on his website, Coupe de Grace.
Chinese Almond Cookies
can you freeze the dough?
Hi Claude, we’ve not tried freezing this dough, so I’m not sure. If you try it, please let us know how it goes. Happy new year!
First time making these, delicious! Saved and will make again
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Delicious! Soft and just like my husband and I remember getting from Chinese restaurants! Made my husband for Father’s Day. Easy to follow recipe and I will be making again for family get togethers.
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This is the first time I’ve made Chinese Almond Cookies. I researched different recipes and this recipe was the one I chose because I liked the ingredients and it looked easy for the kids and I to make. I prepared the dough and let it chill in the fridge. Once the dough was ready, my sister helped the kids bake them. They had fun rolling the dough into balls, pressing them down with their palms, placing the sliced almond then brushing it with the egg. They said they could not stop eating them in between batches! We all agreed that they were better than any Chinese Almond Cookie we’ve ever had. Very delicious! The kids packaged them in individual bags and gave them out at an Asian Dinner they cooked. They were a hit!
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I’ve made these before and they were delicious. Question- can the dough be made in advance in refrigerated longer than 2 hours?
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Hi Kim,
I have not made these myself, but I gather from reader comments the dough can be a bit crumbly. If you refrigerate it longer than 2 hours, you may need to roll the dough a bit longer so it warms up somewhat in your hands to come together in a ball. But otherwise, give overnight chilling a try! And here’s what reader Janice did: ” rolled the dough into two – 1″ diameter logs in wax paper & refrigerated. Then cut slices from the log ~ 2/3″ thick disks to place on the cookie sheet. Put the slivered almond on each cookie. Then used a small juice glass, dipped the bottom in the egg wash, then pressed each cookie down with the bottom of the glass to the desired diameter. No sticking to the glass bottom. I still brushed additional egg wash on each cookie with a brush before baking.”