Twin Dragon Almond Cookies
Submitted by Petra
Traditional Chinese almond cookies made with ground almonds, lard, and almond extract, each topped with a whole blanched almond. Crumbly, fragrant, and golden, just like the ones from your favorite bakery.
YIELD
2 dozenPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
45 minIf you’ve ever grabbed one of those crumbly almond cookies from a Chinese bakery and wondered how they get that sandy, melt-in-your-mouth texture, the answer is lard.
Ground blanched almonds get mixed right into the dough along with almond extract for a double hit of nutty flavor that’s impossible to fake.
Each cookie gets a whole blanched almond pressed into the center and a brush of beaten egg for that signature golden sheen.
They come out of the oven lightly browned at the edges and impossibly tender.
Kitchen Tips
- Grind the almonds to a fine powder in a blender but stop before they turn into almond butter
- Lard is traditional and gives the best crumbly texture, but butter can be substituted if needed
- Don’t overbake. Pull them when the edges are just light brown; they’ll firm up as they cool
- The egg wash is key for that bakery-style glossy golden top
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a blender, grind ½ cup blanched almonds to a fine powder.
Add to the flour mixture.
Cream the sugar, lard, almond extract, egg, and water, and add to the dry mixture.
Mix thoroughly. Form into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Press one of the remaining almonds into the center of each ball, while flattening it slightly with fingers.
Brush each cookie lightly with beaten egg.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are light brown around edges.
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