X for XIAODIANXIN – Chinese Almond Cookies – Day 24


This was one tough letter. There are only a few dishes that begin with the letter X and even fewer that are baked and native to a particular country. I had only two choices - Xiaodianxin which means Cookie in Chinese or any X-mas Cake. I chose to do the cookie and made Chinese Almond Cookies.

X for XIAODIANXIN – CHINA




Chinese Almond cookies are eaten during the Lunar New Year. They are shaped liked coins and symbolize good luck, hence people make or buy these coin-shaped cookies. Made with almond meal/flour these are crumbly rich cookies.

I made my own Almond flour with blanched almonds. I weighed the quantity of blanched almonds needed and then pulsed it with the quantity of sugar in the recipe. If you pulse almonds without the sugar it will turn to butter! So always pulse it with sugar/powdered sugar. You can use Almond meal too which is made with raw almonds and the meal is coarse with specks of brown in it.

The original recipe has egg yolk in it, I decided to leave it out and make these eggless instead. I stuck to the recipe with no other changes and these turned out absolutely melt-in-the-mouth.




You will need:
Makes: 24-26 cookies (half recipe as stated below)
Recipe adapted from here

60 gms blanched almonds (to make the almond flour)
90 gms All-purpose flour
60 gms Granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Baking soda
75 ml Vegetable oil
Unsalted almonds (to top the cookies)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low. Add the vegetable oil and continue to beat on low until the mixture forms a dough. If the mixture looks crumbly, add a teaspoon of oil at a time until it comes together.




Pinch small pieces of dough and roll into a bowl. Press an almond in the center of the ball, place this on the lined baking sheet. Continue with remaining dough. Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes. 


Cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to a rack carefully and cool completely. Store in air-tight container for up to a week.



10 comments:

  1. The cookies look beautiful and the almond flavour is a delight. Awesome bake for X

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  2. Cookies look melt in the mouth kinds and since made with almond meal must be so delicious , rich and nutty.

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  3. Looks like this Chinese almond cookies is the star dish of the day. Thats an awesome find for X. Those cookies looks simply awesome.

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  4. Same pinch and kudos for making your own almond meal. Errr I always go for store bough one. These cookies looks delicious.

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  5. These cookies seem to be the star for the letter X ! Lovely choice.

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  6. Namratha,these almond cookies have turned out so wonderful..looks so buttery and inviting..but the great thing about this recipe is that when we have used oil, the baked dish looks buttery right..:)..great pick!

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  7. Those cookies look like they will melt in the mouth. very inviting.

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  8. One of the most delicious cookies I have ever tasted. Nicely baked.

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  9. cookies look soft and crumbly.

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  10. They look like my kind of cookies.. Perfect pic for the letter and love those Almond toppings..

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