Most Chinese and other Asian families usually have a large tin of store-bought Chinese almond cookies in their homes at all times. They are buttery, nutty, and yummy. But most store-bought almond cookies lack the almond flavor and rely too heavily on copious amounts of sugar. 

For more of my reduced sugar dessert recipes, check out my dessert recipes. In general, I try to put just enough sugar in my recipes. Overly sweet foods are not yummy and are bad for our health. We want to avoid demonizing any particular food group or ingredient, but there is a large body of scientific research showing the harmful impacts of high sugar consumption on health. Does that mean we should avoid sweets altogether? That would be a sad life, don’t you think? Instead of swearing off all sugar, it is important to balance your diet and choose to eat sweetened desserts that you truly love only once in a while. And maybe pick desserts that have reduced sugar rather than an overwhelming amount of sugar.

How to get almond flavor in Chinese almond cookies?

Ground almond flour and a good quality almond extract in the dough. Penzy’s Spices tends to have very high quality spices and extracts. I’ve found that the almond extract from here has been the tastiest and richest I’ve ever used. Additionally, use more sliced almonds on the top of the cookie. It adds a rich and delicious true almond flavor to your cookie.

How long can I keep Chinese almond cookie dough?

You can freeze the dough and keep it for at least 3 months if it is wrapped and stored well.

Do I have to chill the dough before baking?

Yes! Always chill your cookie dough before baking. The chemistry of it all is too complicated too explain here, but chilling your dough lets some of the water dry out and your ingredients to mix better, creating the optimal texture and flavor for your Chinese almond cookies. 

Can I use foil instead of parchment paper to bake cookies?

No. Please never use foil to bake cookies, cakes, or any pastry. The foil changes your bake and will cause it to burn rather than become golden brown. Always use parchment paper instead of foil when you are baking. Foil is fine for roasting veggies and meats, but it will ruin your baking almost every time.

How to make Chinese almond cookies

Measure out flour, salt, baking soda and mix together, whisking to break up clumps. Set aside.

2. Add cubes of cold butter to sugar and ground almond flour. Mix in a food processor until well combined and there are no more chunks of butter.

3. Then add in eggs and almond extract and pulse until well combined.

4. Slowly add flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix in the food processor until well combined.

5. Form dough into a tight flat disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

6. Take dough out to thaw. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. When dough has slightly warmed and is pliable, break into small pieces and roll into even sized balls. Flatten the balls into 1/4 inch thick disks onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart.

7. Top cookies with several slivers of sliced almonds. Then brush generously with egg wash (1 beaten egg).

8. Depending on the size and thickness of your cookies, bake for 12-17 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown on top. Then turn off your oven, leave the door slightly open, and allow cookies to sit in oven for another 10-15 minutes to allow them to dry out and become crispy in the middle.

9. You may need to turn lower your oven to 300 degrees F and continue to bake them for another 3-5 minutes to dry out the middle.

10. Your cookies are done when they are crispy in the middle and the tops are golden brown.

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Chinese Almond Cookies

Nutty, buttery, Chinese almond cookies with the perfect amount of sweetness.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword almond cookies, Chinese Almond cookies

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 48 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cup ground almond flour
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds
• 1 egg beaten for egg wash

Instructions

• Mix together all purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to break up clumps. Set aside.
• Add cubes of cold butter to sugar and ground almond flour. Mix in a food processor until well combined and there are no more chunks of butter.
• Then add in eggs and almond extract to the butter/almond flour mixture and pulse until well combined.
• Add flour mixture into the butter/almond flour mixture. Mix in the food processor. Wipe down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix again. Mix until the ingredients are well combined. It should look crumbly.
• Form dough into a tight flat disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Take dough out to thaw. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. When dough has slightly warmed and is pliable, break into small pieces and roll into even sized balls. Flatten the balls into 1/4 inch thick disks onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart.
• Top cookies with several slivers of sliced almonds. Then brush generously with egg wash (1 beaten egg).
• Form dough into a tight flat disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Take dough out to thaw. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. When dough has slightly warmed and is pliable, break into small pieces and roll into even sized balls. Flatten the balls into 1/4 inch thick disks onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart.
• Top cookies with several slivers of sliced almonds, gently pushing the almonds into the cookies to help them stick.. Then brush generously with egg wash (1 beaten egg).
• Depending on the size and thickness of your cookies, bake for 12-17 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown on top. Then turn off your oven, leave the door slightly open, and allow cookies to sit in oven for another 10-15 minutes to allow them to dry out and become crispy in the middle.
• You may need to turn lower your oven to 300 degrees F and continue to bake them for another 5-10 minutes to dry out the middle.
• Your cookies are done when they are crispy in the middle and the tops are golden brown.

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies -Easy and Delicious

After watching “Great British Baking Show,” I realized how much the British love to sip on some tea with a biscuit. That sounded like a killer flavor combination. Then I thought: why don’t we just put that yummy tea flavor in a biscuit? Don’t get me wrong: I’m not kidding myself into thinking I invented tea biscuits. But I like to think that I gave them a bit of a makeover using a variety of fragrant teas. I am in love with these Earl Grey shortbread cookies. I also made chai shortbread cookies and matcha shortbread cookies with the same basic recipe.

A huge pet peeve of mine is when I a food item doesn’t have the flavor that it claims to have. I have also noticed that this is the kiss of death in any cooking show.

So I made sure that these Earl Grey shortbread cookies TASTE like Earl Grey.

Reduced Sugar Dessert

Although I love desserts, I recognize that people in developed countries have a problem with diabetes. We are eating too much of refined sugars and carbohydrates and eating too much in general.

You can have your cake and eat it too, friends! Just reduce the amount of sugar you put in your desserts. You can enjoy the sweetness without overdoing sugar. Just hit the perfect sweet spot. Get it?

For other easy and balanced desserts, check out my fresh peach crisp recipe. 

Brewing Tea with your Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good cup of tea. There is a calming aroma and fragrance to a well-brewed cup of tea. I am so fascinated by the art of brewing tea: how the temperature of the water depends on the type of tea that you are brewing. Of course, if your temperature is too high, the tannins will be released from the leaves and you will be left with an unpleasant bitter flavor.

What kinds of tea should I use for baking?

Use strongly flavored teas for any cookie or cake. As tea has a very subtle flavor, combining it with spices and citrus (as in chai and Earl Grey) will bring out the flavor of the tea. Chai is an Indian spiced tea that has cinnamon and a variety of other warm spices. Matcha is a Japanese style tea made from ground green tea leaves. Both pack a punch of flavor and are perfect for these shortbread cookies if you want to do something different from Earl Grey!

How do I bring out the flavor of tea leaves in my baking?

If possible, use a spice/coffee grinder to grind your leaves. If you have them only coarsely chopped or even whole, the flavor will not lend itself to the cookie or cake.

For best flavor, use whole tea leaves rather than tea bags. Tea bags are full of the remnant small pieces of tea, which are usually lower in quality and flavor.

If possible, give your tea a good sniff before purchasing. Try to do this when people aren’t looking. They might give you strange looks. Teas that are too old will have oxidized and lost much of their fragrance and flavor.

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Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookies

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 52 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp ground tea (matcha, Earl Grey, Chai)
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or sliced almonds

Instructions

• Sift flour. Mix sifted flour into tea powder and salt. Set aside.
• Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer. When sugar has mixed with butter, add in flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
• Add in chopped nuts and gently fold in with a spatula or spoon.
• Pour dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to cover the dough and shape into a log. The log should be approximately 2 inches in diameter.
• Pat down log to make sure the log is formed evenly. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until log is solid enough to cut.
• Optional: remove log from refrigerator and roll around chopped nuts until the surface is covered with nuts.
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cut cookies into ¼ inch pieces from the log of dough.
• Lay cookies onto a lined baking sheet, with cookies spaced ½ inch apart.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
• Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool completely
• Optional: dip in melted white, milk, or dark chocolate