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China Dessert Almond Cookies Tasty morsels of almond- flavored dough with an almond nestled in the center.
Preheat oven to 350. Mix shortening and sugar in large bowl till smooth. Mix in egg, ground almonds, and extract. Sift flour, baking powder and salt; mix in gradually with dough. (Dough will be stiff.) Shape dough into 36 small balls and place on greased baking sheets. Press almond-half on each ball and flatten with your hand to make a 2" cookie. Brush with egg yolk and water mixture; bake 20 minutes till golden. |
Tips & Glossary Many ingredients used in Chinese cooking probably aren’t in your spice shelf, but you can find them at Asian grocery stores. To avoid frustration, make a list of the items before trying recipes. Agar Agar: dried seaweed used as a gelatin. Buy it in sticks (or strips) and soak in cold water to soften. Chili Oil: buy it or make your own. For a recipe, see Hunan Chicken. Chinese Cabbage: aka “Nappa”;long, white stalks with light green crinkly leaves. Deep Frying: use a deep-fry thermometer to reach the recipe's correct temperature; if the oil isn't hot enough, the food will be soggy. When cool, the oil can be strained, refrigerated, and re-used. Dried Shrimp: tiny, salted, sun-dried shrimp that add a pungent flavor to Asian cooking. Soak before using. Five-Spice Powder: blend of star anise, cinamon, cloves, fennel and Szechuan peppercorns. Like allspice. Peppersalt: buy or make your own. Heat 2 T Szechuan peppercorns in skillet 5 min. Grind into powder and mix with 2 T salt. Sauces: Hoisin (sweet, from soybeans); Oyster (like soy, from oysters); Sweet Bean (canned, salty, from soybeans); Hot Bean (hot & salty, from soybeans and peppers). Sesame Paste: from gound sesame seeds; substitute with peanut butter. Sweet Rice Powder: from glutinous rice; used in place of flour in many desserts. Szechuan peppercorns: dried reddish berries, fragrant and mildly hot.
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