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Red Dot Almond Cookies

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Submitted by Deannie

Chinese New Year almond cookies with a thumbprint dipped in red food coloring. Crisp, sandy shortening cookies meant to bring good luck to the lunar new year table.

YIELD

48 servings

PREP

18 min

COOK

12 min

READY

30 min

Red dot almond cookies are a Lunar New Year tradition. The single dot of red coloring in the thumbprint center isn’t just decoration. Red is the color of luck, prosperity, and celebration in Chinese culture, and these cookies show up on tea tables and gift boxes during the new year holidays.

The dough itself is a basic shortening cookie spiked hard with almond extract. A full teaspoon is more than most almond cookies call for, and that’s intentional. The almond flavor needs to come through clearly because there are no actual almonds in the dough. The extract is doing all the work.

The baking soda without baking powder gives a slight rise and that distinctive sandy bakery-style crumb. These aren’t soft and chewy. They’re firm with a clean snap, the way Chinese-bakery cookies are meant to be.

Chef Tips

  • Roll the balls between your palms until smooth and uniform. Cracks on the surface only get worse during baking.
  • Press your thumb gently and only halfway down. A deep dent makes the cookie collapse during baking.
  • Use gel food coloring rather than liquid for a brighter red dot that holds its color through the bake.
  • Cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring. Shortening cookies are fragile when warm.

Variations

  • Add a whole blanched almond pressed into each thumbprint instead of red coloring for a savory variation.
  • Brush with egg yolk wash before baking for the classic glossy bakery finish.
  • Tint the dough itself a soft pink with a few drops of food coloring for a fully-pink festive cookie.

Ingredients

3 710
1 5
TEASPOON ML BAKING SODA
1 1
LARGE EACH EGG
1 5
TEASPOON ML ALMOND EXTRACT *
1 237
CUP ML SUGAR
1 ⅓ 315
1
X FOOD COLORING
red, to taste *

Directions

Sift flour and soda together.

Beat the egg and add the extract to the egg.

Cream sugar with shortening; add egg; mix thoroughly.

Add dry ingredients gradually. Roll into balls 1 inch in diameter.

Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet.

Press thumb gently in center of top of each ball.

Touch depression with red coloring.

Bake 12 minutes at 350℉ (180℃).

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 13g (0.5 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 550 3% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 47mg 16%
Sodium 154mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 41%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Sugars g
Protein 22g
Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2% Iron 25%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Low in Saturated Fat, Trans-fat Free, Good source of fiber
 

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