Vegan Chinese Almond Cookies

Probably you have tasted these cookies in Chinese restaurant or in any Chinese bakery. The shiny glazed cookie with the blanched almond on top is crispy and light.

It was on my try list. While searching for this recipe, I bumped on many recipes using lard for fat content. I was surprised seeing lard used for baking Authentic Chinese cookies!

After a quick search I found: China raise more pigs than cattle. Dairy products were limited or rarely available for them. Only recently, the country made mandatory that every kid should drink at least one cup of milk everyday. Obviously all dairy product were not common in olden days! They ended up using lard everywhere.

Ok, if you are purist, probably looking for an authentic taste, you are not at the right page! Yes, these cookies are lighter (less fatter than usual) and prepared into Vegan way! I bet this one taste far better than the Chinese restaurant and never regret of trying this vegan version. Unless you want to spike your cholesterol level.

These cookies have the sandy texture and the most important fairly easy to put together.

It would be such a great Vegan gift for up coming Holiday time.



How to make the almond meal / flour?

Almond flour is ground up almond. The flour is made with blanched almond and almond meal is either blanched or not. The flour or meal is usually coarse not like fine powder.

Blanch the almond first.

How to blanch almond ?

Take a microwave safe bowl, add the almonds and enough water to cover the nuts.

Keep in microwave for 1 minutes, until the water turns hot.

Let the almond soak for 10 minutes.

Now slightly squeeze the nut, the outer skin should come out easily. If not keep another min in microwave and let it soak for few more minutes.

Almond meal/flour:

Once the almond is blanched. Let it dry in paper towel to remove all the excess moisture.

Put the blanched almonds in mixer and pulse into the desire consistency. Keep little coarse, if you run the powder too long, you end up making almond butter.

I halved the original recipe: My modification: added almond meal, subst with vegetable shortening and skip the egg. The outcome was super crunchy and tasty cookie.



Print 


  Ingredients

Vegetable shortening: 1/2 cup (room temperature)

Sugar : 1/2 cup

Almond extract : 1/4 teaspoon

Almond meal: 1/4 cup

All-purpose flour : 1 cup

Baking powder : 1/2 teaspoon

To decorate the cookie

Blanched whole almonds : 24 counts

Sesame seeds :1 tablespoons

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the vegetable shortening, almond extract and sugar until smooth.Stir or beat in the almond flour+AP flour and baking powder until well blended. You can chill the dough for 30 minutes but the dough will not firm because of vegetable shortening!

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, flatten each slightly, and place each about 1 inch apart on buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

3. Press an almond into the center of each cookie and sprinkle each with about 1/8 teaspoon sesame seeds.

4. Bake cookies in a 325° oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.

This Vegan Chinese cookies are baked for Vaishali who is hosting :It is A Vegan World : Chinese

Comments

Unknown said…
Am trying it trmw ;) hopefully ;)))...
they look wonderful CHAM
Dori said…
I love these cookies and I really like your variation :)
Sonia said…
I haven't tried Chinese cookies yet. Thanks for pointing out. Nice details about how to blanch almonds, etc. Thanks for the recipe. Bookmarked!:)
Unknown said…
Looks absolutely delicious, very perfectly baked.
sandhya said…
they look delicious cham... will try this out soon...
Nandinis food said…
They look perfect and wonderful! These cookies are really delectable and fantabulous!
Pavani said…
They look super delicious Cham.. Seems simple to make too.
Laavanya said…
Oh that is too tempting to pass.. hope to try this soon.
suvi said…
This is absolutely awesome!
I should make a try for my LO'....its really tempting ...
jayasree said…
Gorgeous cookies.. Wonderfuly shaped and well baked.
prasu said…
wow.........dear, looks os yummy yumm.
Unknown said…
They look lovely and tempting!
Prajusha said…
cookies looks delicious and perfect
prajusha
www.icookipost.com
Nithya Praveen said…
I simply love these Cham...am back after a long time...u've made so many yummy things.Bookmarking this one!
kitchen queen said…
the almond cookies look ver tempting. you can visit my blog and give ur comments.
Uma said…
wow, the cookies look sooo perfect and yummy :)
Lakshmi said…
Yummy cookies..they look soo tempting. Have you ever tried chiffon cake(esp pandan flavour)? It is one of the fav cake of Singaporeans. Many of Chinese friends love it. Try making it sometime..I am sure you will love it.
Supriya said…
Yummy! I love this version as I am not a great fan of chocolate..love the fruit and nut cookies.
Unknown said…
they look awesome...
Priya Suresh said…
Fantastic cookies...Very prefect Cham!
CurryLeaf said…
Love the cookies.So delectable.I had seen the recipe in some site.Yours look great Cham.
gtyuk said…
I have never tasted the chinese almond cookies; but I wouldn't mind for my cholesterol level you know, I enjoy eating nice well prepared fine food; until we know how to balance our diet, I think there can't be any disaster in your health ( well, that's my own point of view:)

an interesting variation for the vegetarains!!they look nice crunchy and delicious Cham!
Finla said…
Beautiful cookies, is there a difference between butter and vegetable shortening.
I have to google the info
Sum Raj said…
woooooooo..this is sooo cute and nice presentation and awesome click too..
Raks said…
Neat presentation and cookies have come out so good!
Gita Jaishankar said…
Nice white cookies...I have to make these soon...looks good Cham :)
Kayal said…
Looks so delicious cham
Suparna said…
O cham! each of the cookies look like a piece of moon! :) very impressive recipe presentation dear, thanks.
TC
Sumi said…
perfect cookies.Love to bake some
Usha said…
Looks fantastic ! And I loved your healthier lighter version of these cookies, bookmarked :-)
Bong Mom said…
I don't think I have had them. Do you have a pic ?
Yasmeen said…
Looks so pretty,I love baking with almond flour :D
Cham said…
Happy Cook:There is lots of difference between butter and shortening.
Shortening is made out vegetable (mainly soy beans oil and hydro contonseed oil) contains 50% less satur fat, if u know our Indian "Dalda" is pretty much look and taste same. In US we easily get the CRISCO brand -throw a search u will be amazed! U don't need to store in fridge :)
Probably I try to run a post :)

Sandeepa Check out the original recipe link I gave, they did egg wash but I omitted that part!
Malar Gandhi said…
The vegan style sounds kool, Good to see the step by step instructions...esp' for almond meal...looks like lot of work, but worth making them, right. Bet it tasted heavenly:)
Soma said…
Anything with almonds WILL taste good:-) These sound really delicious.
Vikis Kitchen said…
Very worthy recipe, comes handy for the season. Love the alternative.....cookies with low fat is a big charm.
Vanamala Hebbar said…
looks cute cookies..i loved it.
A_and_N said…
I love this. I'm so making them for Christmas this year :)
notyet100 said…
yummy they look,..;-)
Dhanya Ganesh said…
Cookies looks delicious. Luved the click too:).
Unknown said…
Cookies look great Cham! Looks very professional!
Deepthi Shankar said…
wow these cookies look awesome
Archy said…
wow.. cookies with almond..wonderfull, on the baking list!!
Vaishali said…
"I bet this one taste far better than the Chinese restaurant and never regret of trying this vegan version. Unless you want to spike your cholesterol level." I just love those lines, Cham! :) You're right-- these are so much healthier and they look divinely delicious. Thanks for sending them to IAVW.
looks very pretty. wish i could grab them.
The cookie looks perfect and mouthwatering. Will try this for sure :) Thanks for the recipe.
Recipeswap said…
looks so delicate and wonderful.
Unknown said…
Hi Cham,hru? its been a while since i came here on your blog :) I am on a mission to make cookies/cake without oven, and your almond cookies are so tempting, I might try steaming it in pressure cooker/veg steamer. Do u have any past experience making steamed cookies? Anyways, perfect treat for the Vegan Chinese event :)
These look delicious. I love them. These days when I need almond meal, I don't bother skinning them. I just grind them up and tell myself the brown specks look beautful! LOL
Just made some almond cookies myself (not Chinese, but Swedish). :)
Pravs said…
those are some cookies, indeed. Love cookies made out of almond. Looks perfectly baked.
Rahin said…
THe cookies look beautiful Cham
Dershana said…
fantastic! these cookies look really really good.
my kitchen said…
Want to taste now.Pass that to me
Sunshinemom said…
They look perfect in everyway! The picture is just so beautiful:)
SE said…
Cham...these look perfect and delicious..
Namitha said…
Looks fabulous and tempting...:-)
Andhra Flavors said…
looks perfect and invitng.
Chitra said…
Wow, iam drooling..Superb click !!
amna said…
love your holiday template :) and yes, these cookies look awesome!
my kitchen said…
Nice presentation,yummy cookies
Madhuram said…
Lovely cookies Cham. I saw it in Vaishali's round up and can't wait to try them.
Looks very good and wonderful. I need to try this sometime.