Chinese Walnut Cookies
These Chinese walnut cookies are crumbly, crunchy, and utterly delicious. So much better than any fortune cookies. Perfect for celebrating the Chinese New Year.
Servings: 40 -45 cookies
Calories: 104kcal
Equipment
- Food processor OR hand mixer with a dough hook
- Baking sheets
Ingredients
- 300 g all-purpose flour 10.5 oz/ 2 ⅜ cups, Notes 1,2
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 200 g unsalted butter 7 oz/ ¾ cups + 1 tablespoon, room temperature, Note 3
- 130 g ground walnuts 4.5 oz/ 1 cup
- 120 g icing sugar 4.2 oz/ 1 ¼ cup
- 1 large egg
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 40-45 walnuts halves or quarters as many as required
Instructions
- Dough: Mix the flour and the baking powder. Add the cubed butter, ground walnuts, icing sugar, egg, and salt. Mix shortly to obtain a dough.300 g all-purpose flour/ 2 ⅜ cups + ¼ teaspoon baking powder + 200 g unsalted butter/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon + 130 g ground walnuts/ 1 cup + 120 g icing sugar/ 1 ¼ cup + 1 large egg + 1 pinch of salt
- Refrigerate: Form a flat dough ball, wrap it in cling film/plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes (Note 4).
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape: Form balls about the size of a large walnut (ca 0.7 oz/ 20 g each), and place them on the prepared baking trays. Leave some space between the cookies.
- Brush: Beat the egg yolk and milk together. Use the mixture to brush the cookies. Place a walnut half or quarter (depending on their size) on each cookie, pressing it down lightly to slightly flatten the dough balls as well.1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon milk + 40-45 walnuts
- Bake for about 13-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Leave to rest on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Keep in airtight containers at room temperature.
Notes
- Measurements: I strongly recommend using a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to measure the ingredients.
- Flour: Cake flour has a lower protein content, resulting in softer cookies. All-purpose flour lends a crunchy texture to the cookies.
- Lard: In the traditional recipe, lard is typically used. However, for convenience, I've opted for butter instead.
- Make ahead: The dough can be made for up to 3 days ahead. Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 9mg | Sugar: 3g