Happy Year of the Tiger: Chinese Almond Cookies
Celebrating Lunar New Year with Chinese Almond Cookies! May the Year of the Tiger bring many blessings, prosperity, and good health to you and your family.
As a kid, I always looked forward to Lunar New Year. It’s always a vibrant and happy occasion with lots of food. Relatives and friends come bearing small edible gifts such as Chinese almond cookies and offer their new year wishes. Children receive lucky red envelopes with money inside from married couples as a blessing of good fortune, health and prosperity. Around town there are displays of firecrackers or fireworks and dragon dances. For about two weeks, there is always a joyful atmosphere as family and friends come together to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Born in Year of the Tiger
This year marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger. As the third of the twelve year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac, individuals born in years: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, and 2022 are all born in the Year of the Tiger. According to Chinese astrologists, individuals born in the Year of Tiger share the same characteristics of bravery, competitive, charming, and confident whilst also stubborn and authoritative.
In my family, we have a very special person born in the Year of the Tiger. And that person is none other than my older, but younger-looking sister. Born as a wood tiger and the firstborn child, she exudes many of the aforementioned tiger characteristics that I admire so much. She has absolutely been the rockstar of an older sister: kind, generous and resolute. We are the lucky ones. I wish her many good blessings, peace, and happiness as we welcome the Year of Tiger.
Embracing our Chinese Heritage
Since moving to London with no extended family nearby, we usually mark Lunar New Year by having dim sum with friends or sharing a big Chinese feast at a local restaurant. Now as a mother of a half-Chinese daughter, we make an extra effort to teach her about her cultural heritage. In addition to all the Western holidays, we also celebrate Diwali and Lunar New Year. One year I took Lady Yeya to watch the dragon dance on the Great Map at the National Maritime Museum. Last year due to Covid restrictions, we had a low key weekend watching Disney’s Mulan and making Chinese red lanterns. And of course, we all wear red, the colour of life and vitality in both Indian and Chinese culture.
Traditionally, families gather on Lunar New Year eve for a big feast of eight dishes together. But as Lunar New Year starts on a Tuesday, we’re having a small dinner of steamed sea bass, Chinese bok choy, and noodles to celebrate the occasion. We look forward to celebrating with another family who have half-Chinese kids for a feast of Peking Roast Duck smoked on the Big Green Egg.
Chinese Almond Cookies
As a kid, I was obsessed with Twin Dragon Chinese almond cookies. They come in an iconic light pink box adorned with two dragons on each side. We would receive a few boxes for Lunar New Year. My siblings and I would devour these delicious little cookies throughout the two week Lunar New Year celebration.
Little did I know, these nutty and buttery cookies are very easy to make at home. We are big fans of almond desserts from Galette des Rois to Orange-Almond cakes. So what better way to welcome the Year of the Tiger than a big batch of homemade Chinese Almond Cookies. The round shape of the cookies resembles coins and therefore a symbol of wealth and good fortune.
Happy Lunar New Year All!
Chinese Almond Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups almond flour
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Roasted almonds for decoration
Instructions
- Place the almond flour, salt, and cold butter into an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until well mixed together.
- Add one egg and almond extract to the batter. Mix on low speed until just blended together.
- Add the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, and baking soda. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Take the dough and flatten it into a disc. Wrap with plastic and chill in the refrigerator for two hours. This will prevent excessive spreading when baking.
- Preheat the oven to 163°C/ 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, beat the other egg.
- If you chilled the dough for more than two hours, be sure to let it sit at room temperature so it is easy to work with.
- Take small pieces of dough and roll them into balls about 3/4 inch wide. Place the dough on the sheet about an inch apart. Then gently press down on the dough with your palm to make a coin shape.
- Press a roast almond in the middle of each cookie. Brush each cookie with egg wash using a pastry brush for a shiny lacquered finish.
- Bake at 163°C/ 325°F for 13 to 15 minutes, until the edges just begin to tan. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack.
