Happy Lunar New Year! For everyone celebrating around the world, yesterday was filled with wishes of good fortune and celebrations to welcome in the Year of the Pig.
Although I’m not super familiar with all of the traditions associated with Lunar New Year, I wanted to make something to celebrate. After doing some research, I decided on a batch of traditional almond cookies. When I was growing up, I remember always loving to get these cookies at the end of a delicious meal in Chinatown. I’m excited to share these cookies as they are just as chewy and tasty as the ones I remember.
The recipe is pretty straightforward, but do remember to factor in the chilling time for the dough. Additionally, the recipe calls for blanched almonds that are put on the tops of the cookies. Since blanched almonds can be a bit expensive to find at the store, you can also make your own.
Simply take the desired amount of raw almonds, boil some water in a small pot, and place the almonds in the boiling water for 1 minute. After a minute, place the almonds in cool water. Pat them dry with paper towels and then simply pop the almonds out of the shells by gently pressing on one end.
In Chinese culture, the color red symbolizes good fortune and joy, and is often used in decorations for the Lunar New Year. Since the almond cookies aren’t very colorful, I wanted to add a pop of red to overall design. I also wanted to work a bit of Disney into this bake and so I decided to make a few red dragon cookies inspired by Mushu. I’ve always loved Mulan and felt inspired by her courage. I loved being able to add a subtle nod to her story as part of these cookies.
I hope you all enjoy these cookies as much as I did. Happy Lunar New Year!
Lunar New Year Almond Cookies
Celebrate the Year of the Pig with these traditional almond cookies!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, soft
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 ½ teaspoons almond extract
- 30 whole almonds, blanched
- 1 egg, lightly beaten and mixed with a little water for egg wash
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until combined.
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Add the egg and almond extract to the butter mixture and beat until well combined.
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Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix together. The dough will be crumbly.
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Knead the dough together and then shape into 2 logs about 10-12 inches long.
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Wrap logs in wax paper or plastic wrap and let chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
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Once chilled, preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Blanch almonds, if needed.
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Remove dough from fridge and cut the dough into pieces about ¾ inch wide.
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Roll each piece into a ball and place onto prepared baking sheet. Press an almond into the center of each ball.
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Brush each ball lightly with the egg wash.
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Bake for 15-18 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from The Spruce Eats