Chinese Almond Cookies 2023 (Buttery)
User Reviews
5
Chinese Almond Cookies 2023 (Buttery)
Description
This version of Chinese Almond Cookies features a rich dough combining unsalted butter creamed with caster sugar, folded together with egg yolks, salt, almond flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder. Using almond flour instead of meal ensures a finer texture. The dough is mixed gently to avoid toughness, then chilled overnight for optimal flavor and texture development.
Upon baking, the cookies develop a butter-rich, tender crumb with a bright almond character. The use of caster sugar contributes to a refined texture, while the careful balance of ingredients keeps the cookies soft rather than dry or crumbly. The optional almond or almond slice garnish adds subtle crunch and visual appeal.
These cookies suit occasions where a delicate, buttery almond biscuit is desired. The recipe's resting phase supports uniform baking and flavor maturity. They work well as snacks or treats alongside tea or coffee, offering a nuanced almond flavor in a soft cookie.
Resting and chilling the dough overnight is key for best results, ensuring the cookies hold shape and develop texture during baking. Avoid over-creaming or over-mixing to prevent grittiness or toughness.
Ingredients
- ½ Cup butter at room temperature. should be softened but not oily, unsalted
- ¾ Cup caster sugar white
- 4 egg My yolks were 69 grams/ 2.43 oz, yolks plus 2 whole eggs for glazing
- ¾ teaspoon salt Omit or reduce to ¼ teaspoon if using salted butter
- 2 Cups almond flour Do NOT use almond meal!!
- 1½ Cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder NOT baking soda.
- 72 almonds optional, for garnishing. You can also use almond slices instead.
Instructions
Day 1: Making the dough
- Allow the butter to soften (but not too much) then cream it with the sugar till light and fluffy, about doubled in volume and a pale yellow. (You may need to scrape the bottom and side of the large mixing bowl in the middle of the process.)Note: If the bottom of the mixing bowl feels sandy when you're scraping it with a spatula, that means not all the sugar has been mixed into the butter. White dough, on the other hand, means you've over creamed.
- Gently fold in the yolks with a spatula. The dough will become a nice bright yellow.
- Next comes the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the salt, making sure it's well distributed.
- Next whisk the almond flour and regular flour together in a large bowl. Fold the flour mixture and baking powder into the dough.Note: Do not over mix or your dough will become tough.
Day 1: Resting the cookies overnight
- Transfer the dough to an airtight container or Ziplock bag then chill (or freeze.) It needs to rest overnight. Note: If you rest for only an hour, the almond biscuit will be chewy, not crunchy. So far, I've only tested overnight and 1 hour resting times. I will keep testing the recipe to see what is the minimum amount of time we can rest the dough for to get the crisp and update you!
Day 2 or beyond: Baking the cookies
- You can freeze the dough and bake it whenever you want. Alternatively you can do this the next day.Preheat the oven to 350F/ 177C/ 157C fan.
- Use a cookie scoop and scoop out 1-inch balls of dough. Next, you need to roll each dough between your palms to make the dough more compact and smoother. Note: If not, the cookie will not be perfectly round after baking!
- Place each round ball on a parchment paper with at least 2 inches between them, as they will spread. (See post for the minimum distance required.) You can decorate the top of each cookie with an almond (optional) then glaze with the yolk wash using a pastry brush.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes or till the edges are golden brown.
Notes
- Use almond flour instead of almond meal for a finer cookie texture and flavor.
- Chilling the dough overnight develops flavor and improves dough handling and cookie texture.
- Avoid over-creaming the butter and sugar to prevent gritty dough texture.
- The optional almond garnish adds a traditional finishing touch and subtle crunch.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 72cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 54 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 54kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.2g | 1% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 14mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 30mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 9mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 54IU | 1% |
| Calcium | 19mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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