almond cookies

Namiko Hirasawa Chen presents Chinese Almond Cookies as a Lunar New Year treat. She attributes their coin symbolism to Chinese blogger friends; this account selects her skin-on almond-meal version rather than the offered finely ground blanched almond flour.

Almond meal, all-purpose flour, sugar, kosher salt, baking powder and baking soda are mixed as the dry ingredients. Neutral oil is added slowly until the dough holds together, with more of that same oil offered if it is too crumbly.

Portions are rolled into balls and placed on parchment-lined sheets. The selected optional roasted unsalted almond is pressed into the top of each ball.

A separate egg yolk is beaten and brushed over the tops. The cookies bake until slightly golden, then cool on a rack before serving.

The author describes crisp cookies with a sandy, crumbly texture and almond flavor from both the meal and the topping. Suggested tea or coffee, the optional extra almond extract and the alternate almond-flour processing remain separate choices.