Chinese Almond Cookies

Name: Chinese Almond Cookies
Yield: Makes about 32
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon almond extract (yes, this is correct!); 2 eggs; ¾ teaspoon baking soda; 2½ cups all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons water; 1 teaspoon salt; 32 whole, blanched almonds or whole apricot pits (which are more traditional; available in health-food stores); ½ cup solid vegetable shortening; ½ cup lard, at room temperature; ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar, sifted through a coarse sieve; ⅔ cup granulated sugar

Preparation info

Makes about
32

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Better Than Store-Bought

By Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider

Published 1979

About

A good Chinese almond cookie has a unique texture—dense, sandy, and crunchy. To possess that texture, the cookies must be very rich in shortening. Lard gives a distinctive flavor and crumbliness, so try it before substituting more usual fats. If you have never had the pleasure of a lard pastry, you might be happily surprised.

Ingredients

½ cup lard, at room temperature
½ cup solid vegetable shortening
⅔

Method

In a medium-sized bowl, cream together the lard, vegetable shortening, and sugars until very light and creamy. Beat in one of the eggs and the almond extract.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Beating at low speed if using a mixer, add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, about one-third at a time. Press the dough together with your