Chinese Almond Cookies Recipe - Beautiful Life and Home (2024)

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Look no further for traditional Chinese cookies! These Chinese Almond Cookies are the PERFECT dessert for any Chinese meal! They’re kind of like a cross between a shortbread cookie and a sugar cookie flavored with almond extract and topped with either whole or slivered almonds.

Chinese Almond Cookies Recipe - Beautiful Life and Home (1)

When we think of Chinese cookies, the first cookie that often comes to mind is the ever-popular fortune cookie. But there are other types of Chinese cookies that I think are even more delicious! Case in point: these Chinese Almond Cookies.

These soft cookies are flavored with almond extract and topped with either whole or slivered almonds. They’re kind of like a cross between a shortbread cookie and a sugar cookie.

The shiny effect is achieved by brushing them with egg white. They’re really easy to make with super common ingredients.

They would be the perfect finish to a meal with Chinese Pork Loin with Honey Garlic Sauce,Cream Cheese Wontons, and Easy Wonton Soup.

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Today’s Freebie!

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Ingredients for Chinese Almond Cookies

  • butter
  • sugar
  • eggs
  • almond extract
  • flour
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • almonds (whole or sliced)

How to Make Chinese Almond Cookies

First, you’ll cream one cup (two cubes) softened butter with one cup of sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer.

Then just add in one egg and a teaspoon of almond extract and mix.

Add in three cups all-purpose flour along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and one teaspoon baking soda. Mix well.

At this point, your dough will look pretty crumbly. Don’t be alarmed. It’s supposed to look like that.

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Use a small cookie scoop to form balls. You’ll need to really pack the scoop and then release the dough into your hand so you can gently roll it into a ball.

Put the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet (I always like to use silicone baking mats or parchment paper) two inches apart. Press down on the balls a little bit to flatten them slightly.

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Then crack an egg and separate the white from the yolk. Mix the egg white with 1/2 teaspoon of water and brush on top of the cookies. (This step is optional, but it does make the cookies look pretty).

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Now comes the fun part! Place whole almonds or sliced almonds on top of the cookies. I did several different designs. Some with just a single whole almond, some with just three sliced almonds, and some with an “almond flower.”

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Then just bake at 325 degrees F. for 14-16 minutes, until edges and bottoms are just barely browned. The cookies will spread, but not a ton. Let cool for about two minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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These cookies are best when eaten fresh. After a couple of days, they start to harden, so make sure to keep them stored in an airtight container.

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The next time you want to have a Chinese dinner and want to try something other than a fortune cookie, these easy-to-make Chinese Almond Cookies are just the ticket!

This recipe for Chinese Almond Cookies adapted from Taste of Home.

Today’s Freebie!

Chinese Almond Cookies Recipe - Beautiful Life and Home (10)

Chinese Almond Cookies Recipe - Beautiful Life and Home (11)

Yield: 60

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Look no further for traditional Chinese cookies! These Chinese Almond Cookies are the PERFECT dessert for any Chinese meal! They're kind of like a cross between a shortbread cookie and a sugar cookie flavored with almond extract and topped with either whole or slivered almonds.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, or 60 whole almonds (if using only one whole almond on each cookie)

Instructions

  1. Cream the softened butter with the sugar in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.
  2. Add in one egg and the almond extract. Mix well.
  3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and blend (use a low speed if using a stand mixer). The dough will look crumbly.
  4. Use a small cookie scoop and press the dough tightly inside. Release the dough into your hand and gently roll it into a smooth ball.
  5. Place each ball of cookie dough onto an ungreased or silicone mat-lined or parchment-lined cookie sheet.
  6. Gently press down on each ball of dough to flatten slightly.
  7. Crack the other egg and divide the egg white from the yolk. Add 1/2 teaspoon of water to the egg white and mix with a fork.
  8. Brush each cookie with the egg white.
  9. Top each cookie with either a single whole almond, or several sliced almonds.
  10. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 14-16 minutes, until edges and bottoms are lightly browned.
  11. Remove from oven and let sit on the cookie sheets for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  12. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 60 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 76Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 72mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g

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Chinese Almond Cookies Recipe - Beautiful Life and Home (2024)

FAQs

What is Chinese almond cookie made of? ›

Ingredients in Chinese Almond Cookies

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.

Why do Chinese restaurants have almond cookies? ›

Almond cookies are a traditional Chinese treat, and they symbolize prosperity and good luck, two things we could all use this year.

What is the national cookie of China? ›

The Chinese almond cookie is a dry, crispy, sweet cookie with an almond baked on top. They are often served with or instead of fortune cookies at Chinese restaurants. These cookies seem to be the Chinese-America version of the Hup Toh Soh or the Chinese Walnut Biscuit, which are thought to bring good luck.

Why are my almond cookies hard? ›

This is likely because your cookies were left in the oven too long, and became overbaked. Make sure to start checking your almond cookies around the 12-minute mark, and take them out when they're set at the edges but the middle is still a little underdone.

What is the famous cookie in China? ›

Chinese walnut cookies, or hup toh soh (Chinese: 核桃酥), are popular and symbolically important cookies that are traditionally served to visitors during Chinese New Year celebrations.

When were Chinese almond cookies invented? ›

Like chop suey and fortune cookies, it appears to have originated after the first wave of Chinese immigration to the U.S. in he mid-1800s. There is no record of almond cookies prior to the early 1900s.

What do almonds symbolize in China? ›

For the Chinese, it is feminine beauty, fortitude in sorrow, watchfulness. In the Christian tradition, the almond signifies divine favour and approval, and the purity of the Virgin.

What are those Chinese cookies called? ›

A fortune cookie is a crisp and sugary cookie wafer made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil with a piece of paper inside, a "fortune", an aphorism, or a vague prophecy.

How long do Chinese cookies last? ›

Don't hold on to them for too long because they do expire and you don't want to get sick eating mouldy food! So, from bak kwa to love letters and mandarin oranges, here's when you should throw out these tasty treats. One month if kept in an airtight container at room temperature after they're opened.

What is the most eaten cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What is the best-selling cookie in China? ›

Oreo launched a series of TV ads where cute children demonstrate to their parents and other adults how to eat an Oreo cookie in the American style. Davis says they saw sales of Oreos double in China, then double again, and again. Its now the best-selling cookie in China.

What is the #1 cookie in the US? ›

Nearly 93% of all American households serve and enjoy cookies as treats or after meals. However, it's the chocolate chip cookie that's the most popular in the U.S. and around the world.

Why did my almond cookies flatten? ›

OVEN IS TOO HOT

If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.

Why do my almond flour cookies fall apart? ›

Almond flour cookies can more easily fall apart than other types of cookies because you're removing the gluten which binds them together. Instead, we'll be using an egg and a touch of cornstarch to bind the cookies together so they don't fall apart.

How do you make cookies softer longer? ›

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.

What is Chinese almond jelly made of? ›

Almond tofu (Chinese and Japanese: 杏仁豆腐; pinyin: xìngrén dòufǔ; Cantonese Jyutping: hang6 jan4 dau6 fu6; rōmaji: an'nindōfu) is a soft, jellied dessert made of apricot kernel milk, agar, and sugar popular throughout East Asia.

What is Chinese almond? ›

First thing's first – they're actually not almonds per se, but instead apricot kernels, or xìng rén in the Chinese language*. They're also commonly known as Chinese Almonds, and for practical reasons we use this name as well.

What are Chinese fortune cookies made of? ›

A fortune cookie is a crisp and sugary cookie wafer made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil with a piece of paper inside, a "fortune", an aphorism, or a vague prophecy. The message inside may also include a Chinese phrase with translation and/or a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers.

What type of cookie is almond cookie? ›

An almond biscuit, or almond cookie, is a type of biscuit that is made with almonds. They are a common biscuit in many different cuisines and take many forms.

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