Professor Butter Beard’s Chinese Almond Cookies
7-8 Dozen Cookies
Note – Go ahead and make the full recipe. The wrapped dough logs will keep for two weeks in your fridge.
1 ½ cups almond slices, toasted with ½ tsp fine sea salt
1 lb. (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp cool water
2 tsp vanilla paste
1 tsp almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
Whole roasted almonds for garnish
1) Toast the almond slices (with the salt) in a cast iron pan over medium heat until aromatic and slightly browned. Pour into a small bowl to cool and then slightly break into smaller pieces with your hands.
2) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, and the Chinese Five Spice Powder.
3) In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and confectioner’s sugar. Add the eggs, water, vanilla paste and almond extract. Mix to blend. Use a spatula to add this to the dry mixture. Add the crushed almond slices. Work with your hands to mix and then squeeze into a dough. Divide the dough into six portions and roll each into a 1 ½” log. Wrap each log in parchment paper and chill at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).
4) When ready to bake, line your sheet pans with parchment paper and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
5) Slice the logs (one at a time) into roughly 3/8” slices and place one dozen on each lined sheet pan. (Keep the dough as cold as possible by only slicing just before baking.) Push one whole almond into the center of each slice. Bake one sheet pan at a time for 6 minutes, rotate the pan, and then bake for another 4 minutes. The cookies will puff and then deflate in the oven.
6) Cool the cookies on the sheet pan for 6-8 minutes then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
