I’m horrible about baking holiday cookies mainly because it wasn’t part of our family tradition. Growing up, we usually had Chinese cookies around the house—cookies with funny names, such as “blind man cookies” (盲公饼), walnut cookies and almond cookies. Almond cookies were my favorite because they weren’t too sweet, and they were nutty in flavor.
Bob’s Red Mill challenged me to recreate one of my favorite childhood cookies, so I decided to make a gluten-free version of Chinese almond cookies. The batter is made from a mixture of Bob’s Red Mill’s super fine almond flour and oat flour. BRM’s super fine almond flour is great for baking because the almonds have been blanched to remove the outer skin before they’re ground into a very fine powder. You won’t find chunks of almonds in here!
Unlike packaged versions, these gluten-free Chinese almond cookies are chewy, which I prefer. My husband probably ate 15 to 20 of these cookies in the last week and my neighbors raved about them. I’m also planning on making a special batch for my husband’s family in the UK, whom I’ll be visiting over Christmas. I don’t think they’ve eaten anything like these cookies before, so I’m sure they’ll be a nice addition to the dessert selection.
COOKING NOTES FOR THE CHINESE ALMOND COOKIES RECIPE
The dough: It will be on the soft side, but it shouldn’t stick to your hand when you are rolling it out. Try to be gentle as you work it.Failed versions of this recipe: I tested many, many batches of these cookies. I made a batch using honey instead of sugar, and the texture of the cookies ended up too cakey. I also made a batch where I doubled the amount of butter. Honestly, I didn’t think the extra butter improved the taste of the cookies, so I stuck to 1/2 cup butter total. I know it sounds like a lot, but this recipe yields over 3 dozen cookies.
TOOLS + INGREDIENTS USED
Super-fine almond flour: The almonds are blanched to remove the outer, brown skin and ground into a very fine powder. You can also use almond meal, but you may find tiny bits of almonds in your cookies.Oat flour: One of my go-to flours for gluten-free baking. It adds a light, nutty flavor to your baked goods.Hand mixer: I don’t own a stand mixer (gasp!), mainly because I don’t bake that often. A hand mixer is much more affordable and does all the work I need. Plus, the hand mixer takes up less space in my already-crowded kitchen.Baking sheets: It’s very difficult to find baking sheets that don’t warp or bend in the oven. I’m not sure if I have found one yet, but these baking sheets are nice and don’t warp as much.
LOOKING FOR MORE SWEETS? TRY THESE RECIPES:
Gluten-Free Brownies with Pretzels and Nuts Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Jam Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill! To learn more about their products and to get more recipe inspiration, follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
