National Chinese Almond Cookie Day

Celebrate National Chinese Almond Cookie Day by making these crisp almond flavored sugar cookies, often baked with a whole blanched almond on top. Brush the tops with a simple yolk glaze to create a shiny surface after baking. Here's one version to get you started. If you don't have whole blanced almonds on hand, try pressing in slivered blanched almonds on the tops.

Chinese Almond Cookies

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• Whole blanched almonds (one for each cookie, about two dozen or more)
• 1 yolk, mixed with 2 teaspoons water for glaze

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Cream the butter and shortening together, then beat in the sugars until smooth. Add in the egg and almond extract. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Shape into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place cookie balls onto baking sheets, and slightly flatten with fingertips. Press an almond onto each cookie, and brush the tops with some of the yolk glaze. Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven until lightly browned.

Image of Chinese almond cookies from Flickr by User snowpea&bokchoi through a creative commons license.