These homemade mini almond cookies are VERY EASY to make, and great with a cup of tea or coffee.
In China, we usually have these with friends and family in Chinese New Year. I remember eating this cookie when I was young and never thought of making it myself until I moved to the UK. Because we don't have oven back in those days. Now I can bake anything I want! haha...
These cookies are very crunch and buttery. The traditional recipe use lard, which makes it very crumbly and flavorful. However lard isn't for me. So I use butter, it is a good substitute to lard.
Also, we use a lot of cake flour for cake and cookies making in China. Cake flour has less protein than normal plain flour, so it does create more delicate textures. See note below how to make your own cake flour.
Make 18-20 mini cookies
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
35g icing sugar
2g salt
150g cake flour (see note below)
30g almond meal
some whole almond for topping
some caster sugar for rolling the dough (optional)
small handful of crushed almond flakes (optional)
Method
- Cream the butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl and beat well to a creamy and fluffy consistency.
- Add in the cake flour and almond meal. (I added some extra crashed almond flakes into the dough, can't help with myself, I just love almond! haha...) Combine all the ingredients together and then knead into a dough. I recommend you wear some plastic groves while kneading the dough. Because this dough is very sticky. Cover with plastic wrapper and refrigerate for 30 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 150 degree C fan. Divide the dough into 18-20 pieces, roll each dough into a round ball, then roll each ball with some sugar.
- Place each ball on a baking tray. Then press a whole almond in the center of the ball. Slightly flat it with your finger.
- Bake 25-30 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack until completely cooled. Pack them in a air-tight container.
- Enjoy!
Note: You can make your own cake flour if you have plain flour and corn flour (cornstarch) in your cupboard.
Step1: 1 cup plain flour less 2 tablespoons.
Step2: Add in 2 tablespoons of cornflour.
Step3: Sift together TWICE.