Classic Chinese Almond Cookies (Printable)

Delicate, crumbly almond cookies with subtle nutty flavor. Perfect with tea.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup almond flour
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 1 large egg (reserve half yolk for brushing)
08 - 1 teaspoon almond extract
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Toppings

10 - 32 whole blanched almonds
11 - 1 tablespoon milk

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly blended.
03 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Mix in egg (reserving half the yolk for egg wash), almond extract, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing just until a soft dough comes together. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions, roll into balls, and arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly and press a blanched almond into the center of each.
07 - Whisk reserved egg yolk with 1 tablespoon milk. Brush tops of cookies with mixture using a pastry brush.
08 - Bake for 16-18 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly tender, almost melting in your mouth like those fancy almond cookies you can only find at certain Chinese bakeries
  • They come together in under 40 minutes but taste like you spent all afternoon perfecting them
  • The almond flavor is subtle enough that people who think they do not like almonds still end up eating three
02 -
  • Overworking the dough after adding the flour makes tough cookies, so stop as soon as it comes together
  • The egg wash is not just for looks, it helps the almonds stay in place while baking
  • These cookies continue cooking on the hot baking sheet, so pull them out when the edges look slightly underdone
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients make all the difference in achieving that melt-in-your-mouth texture
  • If your dough feels too sticky to handle, chill it for 15 minutes before rolling

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