The Chinese New Year is traditionally a family holiday where everyone gathers together to eat foods to bring luck & prosperity for the year ahead and you always great guests with a hot cup of tea and a tray of sweets. This Almond Cookie recipe is a simple and delicious treat to make and share!
The Almond Cookie symbolizes a coin so people make or buy these cookies to bring good fortune for the year ahead. And our simple recipe below will be an easy one to share with your family and friends!
They have a delicious crisp bite and sandy crumbly texture and are the perfect cookies to be served with a cup of tea, like our Chinese Restaurant Blend of Pan-fried Green, Oolong & Jasmine Black tea leaves.
- 1 cup almond meal/flour (If you use almond meal (ground almond with skin), you may need to add more oil. Adjust the oil amount as you combine the dough. You should be able to make the dough into balls.)
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) (If you use a measuring cup, follow this method: fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. Otherwise, your flour ends up with more than you want
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- **optional** 2 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon
- 2 tsp almond flavor extract
- ½ cup neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.) (may need more oil)
- 1 large egg yolk
- roasted unsalted whole almonds
DIRECTIONS:
Gather all the ingredients. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF . For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF
Combine all the dry ingredients in a stand mixer. With your mixer on low medium speed (with the beater attachment), mix all together.
Add almond extract to the oil and then slowly add oil and mix until a cohesive dough forms.
The dough should be just enough to hold its shape when you try to roll it into a ball. If they look more like crumbs, add 2-3 tsp vegetable oil at a time.
Shape the dough to make 1-inch cookie or 1 ½-inch cookie. Roll the dough into a ball with your palms. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and repeat until all the dough is used up.
If you want to put a piece of almond on the cookie, hold the cookie ball on your palm and gently press the almond into the dough.
Beat the egg yolk in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the top of the cookie balls with the egg yolk.
Bake at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes, or until the cookies become slightly golden. Let them cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.