I have reduced the sugar in the traditional Chinese recipe by half and used powdered sugar rather than granulated, to lend a flaky texture. These easy cookies are a perfect little sweet ending to a vegetarian Asian dinner.
Makes about 30 cookies.
Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted cold butter, finely diced
- 1 1/4 c all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 c powdered sugar
- 1 egg white, well beaten
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1-3 tsp ice water
- 30 raw shelled almonds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Into a large bowl, sift the flour, soda, salt and powdered sugar.
- Cut butter into sifted dry ingredients until the texture is evenly coarse.
- Add egg white and extract; blend well. Add the ice water a teaspoon at a time, until the dough barely comes together in a ball.
- Break off small bits of dough and shape them into 1-inch balls. Place the balls on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Flatten cookies and press one almond into the center of each.
- Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown. Turn out on wire screen to cool.