Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies
NOW, DON’T GET ME WRONG—THE CONCEPT OF A CHINESE ALMOND COOKIE IS no way a “Midwest thing.” But! I do find it fascinating that midwesterners, specifically Chicagoans, are particularly familiar with these golden, crisp, nutty cookies that accompany their takeout from highly Americanized Chinese food restaurants. As it turns out, one of America’s top almond (and fortune) cookie producers is Golden Dragon, a small factory on the south side of Chicago, where you can walk in off the street and buy insane amounts of fresh cookies directly from them (10 almond cookies in a sleeve for $1!).
You’ll notice this recipe contains shortening, only one of two recipes in this book that does. I rarely use shortening in my baking, but here it’s the necessary ingredient to get the texture just right. In fact, if you want to be very traditional, you’ll use lard.
4 ounces/113 g blanched slivered almonds, lightly toasted*
1¼ cups/250 g granulated sugar, plus more for flattening cookies, divided
2½ cups/384 g unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup/185 g vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 large egg yolk, beaten
Position oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel S blade, combine the almonds and ¼ cup/50 g of the sugar. Grind the almonds until very fine, at least 1 continuous minute. Add the flour, remaining 1 cup/200 g of sugar, and the baking soda, salt, and baking powder and mix until well blended, being sure to scrape down into the corners of the processor bowl occasionally. Add the shortening and process until the mixture begins to clump together. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and almond extract. With the processor running, pour in the egg mixture, and blend until the dough comes together and clears the sides of the bowl. If the dough appears dry, pulse in 1 to 2 teaspoons of water until the dough comes together.
Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, portion the dough, evenly spaced about 2 inches/5 cm apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Spoon a few tablespoons of sugar onto a plate. Using a jar or large glass with a flat bottom, dampen the bottom of the glass and dip into the sugar. Lightly press each cookie to a ¼-inch/6 mm thickness, resugaring the glass with each press. Brush the cookies lightly with the beaten egg yolk. Bake the cookies until golden brown on the edges and bottoms, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely—they will crisp as they cool. Repeat the scooping, flattening, and baking process with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
*If you have almond meal or almond flour, you can skip the food processor and throw everything into a mixer instead.