These Chinese almond cookies are way better than any restaurant cookie. Flaky-crumbly, yummy, and impossible to resist.
Chinese Almond Cookies
Updated 20 Dec 2009
Originally posted 14 March 2007
The first time I ever had these almond cookies was when I received them as a favor for my bridal shower. They were so delicious I literally inhaled those cookies! Aunty Charlene (sister to Aunty Marlene, who gave me that wonderful banana muffin recipe) told me that she got the recipe from her dad a long time ago. Thankfully, she was willing to share her recipe with me and since that time, I’ve made it for countless occasions. I even use them as favors at my kids’ birthday parties now (talk about coming full circle!).
Catching Up
It was through one of these birthday parties that our good friend J and her kids got to try my almond cookies. She has been asking me for the recipe for a long while and I kept meaning to put it up but somehow just never got around to it. The good news is we actually got to bake these almond cookies with J’s kids before we left San Jose. So even though that was a few months’ back and I still had not posted the recipe, at least she got a hard copy of it. (Sorry J for taking so long!)
This almond cookie recipe is very kid-friendly! You basically dump all the ingredients into your mixer, mix till you get a dough, roll them into balls and press down the center with some food coloring. Bake, and tadah! Beautiful cookies.
Beautiful, Chinese Almond Cookies
What I love about this almond cookie is how flaky and yummy they are. The other almond cookie recipe we posted recently is also wonderful but they are chewy and quite sweet. This one is a Chinese Almond Cookie so if you have Asian tastebuds like me and like to have your sweets, well…less sweet, this is the cookie for you. Also, if you’re Chinese (read: pake) like me, this one is the cheaper cookie to bake up. Tee hee! ^_^
And here is the most amazing thing—even though this is an Almond cookie, you don’t actually need to put any almonds in it at all. If you use imitation almond essence (I can’t believe I’m saying this), for all the nut-allergy people in your midst, this could be totally friendly for them. I have a friend who is deathly allergic to nuts and I’ve served him this cookie with no problems (when I use that “fake” almond flavoring).
Of course, if you don’t have any allergy issues, I’d say go with the real almond extract and substitute some of the flour with almond meal. That would kick up the almond flavor big time.
Pure Almond Extract
Either ways, you can’t really go wrong. The cookie is super delicious and crumbly in texture. It reminds me of another Chinese cookie known as Hup Toh Soh (maybe it’s even the same one and this is just the name it’s known as here in Malaysia).
Try this Chinese almond cookie recipe and let me know if you can stop at just one. I’ve never been able to eat just one at a go. It’s that good.
Chinese Almond Cookie Recipe
makes about 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (Crisco really is the best brand for this but if you cannot find it, just any shortening will do, and don’t substitute with butter or you will not get the texture right)
1 cup vegetable oil (I use canola but any vegetable oil will do)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. Sift flour, salt and baking soda (sometimes I get lazy and don’t do this step but it does help the cookie bake up better).
3. Combine all the ingredients and mix till it forms a dough.
4. Roll the dough into balls about the size of large marbles
5. Place them on cookie sheets about one and a half inches apart.
6. Indent the center of the cookie using the back of a chopstick that has been dipped into red food coloring. Press down about halfway through the thickness of the cookie. Alternately, you can put a half slice of almond in the center in place of the red food coloring.
Chinese Almond Cookies Ready to Bake
7. Bake 10-15 minutes till the cookies are just lightly golden brown around the edges.
8. Transfer to wire rack and cool.
Chinese Almond Cookies Ready to Eat
Enjoy!
Cheers, Annie
What cookies are you baking up this holiday season? Leave a comment and tell us about it!
FAQs
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.
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 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.
What is the most popular cookie in Japan? ›
Japan's number one cookie option is the Shiroi Koibito, which translates to "white lover." This delightful cookie features crispy langue de chat biscuits, which are filled with a white or dark chocolate filling. The cookies are buttery, while the filling is rich and melts in your mouth.
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.
What are the almond cookies called? ›
Types of almond biscuits include almond macaroons, Italian amaretti, Spanish almendrados, qurabiya (a shortbread biscuit made with almonds), and Turkish acıbadem kurabiyesi.
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 is the most eaten cookie in the world? ›
1. Chocolate chip cookies. What is the most popular type of cookie? It might just be this one.
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.
What is the oldest cookie in the world? ›
Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico”.
What cookie was not invented until 1938? ›
I bet you didn't know that the American classic dessert, the chocolate chip cookie, wasn't invented until 1938.
What is Chinese almond cookie day? ›
April 9th recognizes a tasty treat on National Chinese Almond Cookie Day. Adorned with an almond, their delicious almond flavor, and slightly crunchy texture are sure to make you smile.
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.
