Red Dot Almond Cookies

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.