ALMOND COOKIES

These delicately almond-flavored cookies are crunchy and taste very much like the ones served at Chinese Restaurants. They are often presented after a wedding banquet or Chinese New Year feast!
This recipe calls for lard instead of butter, but I think the lard adds to the texture and flavour of these cookies. I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy watching my step-by-step how-to video!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered or icing sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 egg yokes (plus 1 additional egg yolk for brushing on top)
1/2 cup melted lard (at room temperature), like Tenderflake.
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
18 raw whole almonds

Equipment:
medium mixing bowl, large mixing bowl, hand mixer, 2 cookie trays lined with parchment paper, silicone brush

Instructions:
1. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl: the flour, icing sugar, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder.
2. In a large bowl, beat 2 egg yolks and the melted lard (at room temperature) together with a hand mixer. Mix in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or spatula, then knead the dough with your hands to create a dough ball. Try not to overwork the dough-it will be similar to a crumbly pie crust in texture. Cover with an overturned plate, and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and toast the almonds for 5 minutes. Cool completely before using. Make the egg yolk wash by beating the last egg yolk with a teaspoon of water and then set aside.
4. Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Take the dough , and divide it into 18 equal pieces. Press and squeeze each into a small disc, and transfer to a baking sheet so the cookies are placed at least 2 inches apart (they will spread out when baked).
5. Brush the tops of the cookies with the egg yolk wash. Press one toasted almond in the middle of each cookie. The cookie dough may crack a little bit-that’s ok. Just gently squeeze them back together if there are particularly large cracks . Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
#almondcookies #chinesealmondcookies
#cookies
Recipe credit:
https://thewoksoflife.com/almond-cook...

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Blessings,
Francine