Chewy almond thumbprint cookies with blanched almonds pressed into the middles, these classic Chinese inspired cookies are lectin free and delicious.
Chinese almond cookies remind me of dining out in downtown Minneapolis as a kid. One of my family's favorite restaurants was the Nankin. Sadly, it's no longer there. But I can still taste the Peking duck and the egg foo young. And their almond cookies were out of this world. These are my lectin free take on the classic Chinese restaurant-style almond cookie. Read on for the recipe.
Speaking of Minnesota, Land O' Lakes (another Minnesota company) has a perfect non-lectin-free Chinese almond cookie recipe that yields cookies exactly like the ones I remember from the Nankin. Coincidence? Probably not!
I converted the Land O' Lakes recipe to LFG with compliant butter, sweetener and flour. Let's make them!
The Recipe
LFG Chinese Almond Cookies
1 Cup French Butter (room temp)
1/3 Cup Allulose or Erythritol (granules)
1 Pastured or Omega-3 Egg
1 tsp Almond Extract
2 1/4 Cups Blanched Almond Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/4 tsp Salt
40-50 Whole Blanched Almonds
1 Pastured or Omega-3 Egg Yolk
1 Tbsp Water
Instructions:
Step 1: Beat Wet Ingredients
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat butter and sweetener together until creamy. Add add and almond extract. Continue beating until smooth.
Step 2: Add Dry Ingredients
To the wet mixture, add almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Beat at a low speed until well incorporated and cookie dough forms.
Step 3: Shape Cookies
Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Place two inches apart onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly and press one blanched almond into the center of each cookie.
Step 4: Gloss and Bake
Beat egg yolk with water in a small bowl. Brush the cookies with the egg mixture. Bake 12 minutes or until set. Let cool completely.