Melt in the mouth delicious chocolate almond cookies. Perfect to share with your guests on Chinese New Year or any other day really… or just keep popping ’em in your mouth so you have an excuse to make more for your guests yourself.
It’s the time of the year when I gorge on food after food after food for 15 straight days.
The time of the year when firecrackers  (totally illegal) are lit and then I’d run for my live in hopes they don’t blind me or blow up my body parts.
The time of the year when I am given a lot of money in red packets…. just because. (Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen anymore since I’m married. Booo!!!)
Yup
Chinese New Year is just around the corner.
Me and a bunch of super talented blogger friends of mine are having a Chinese New Year Cookie Party.
That’s right.
We dream that we can all come together and stuff ourselves with the cookies that we’ve baked.. but in reality, we’re in different parts of the world. So this is the closest thing we can do. Look and salivate at each other’s cookies while needlessly popping into our mouths the ones we’ve just baked for our guest. 🙂
Last year, I made some ‘artery blocking because I just can’t stop eating the melt in the mouth’ peanut cookies. So this year, I thought I’d up the game to block even more arteries by adding my very much loved chocolate.
These cookies are melt in the mouth because icing sugar is used and they are baked before they harden to a crisp. So so good.
Do you love baking cookies too? Come join the party on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hastag #ChineseNewYearCookieParty and tag @CuriousNut to showcase your cookies creation. I look forward to seeing them there.
Let’s get the cookie party started. Check out the other scrumptious cookie recipes from the brilliant bunch.
Vegan Cornflake Cereal Cookies by Christine from Vermillion Roots
Honey Almond Cookies by Kathleen from Hapa Nom Nom
Quinoa Sesame Brittle by Maggie from Omnivore’s Cookbook
Red Bean & Strawberry Pinwheel Cookies by Lindsey from Butter & Type
Sesame Spiral Pie Cookies by Bobbi from Bam’s Kitchen
Macau Almond Cookies by Bonnie from Thirsty for Tea
Mochi Stuffed Almond Cookies by Mabel from Miss Hangrypants
Browned Butter Walnut Chinese Cookies by Betty from Yummy Workshop
Melt in the mouth Chinese Gluten Free Peanut Cookies by Jasline from Foodie Baker
Tapioca Cookies (Kue Bangkit) by Marvellina from What to Cook Today
Fried Red Bean Puffs by Lokness from The Missing Lokness
Chinese Peanut Cookies by Anita from Daily Cooking Quest
Pineapple Jam Tarts by Charmaine from Wok & Skillet
Cherry Blosson Cookies by Linda from Brunch n Bites
Also, if you haven’t already, check out my last post Sambar. A flavor packed hearty & healthy South Indian lentil based curry stew filled with vegetables. It’s mildly spicy and a tad sour from the tamarind & tomatoes.
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- 6.4 oz all-purpose flour (1½ cups scoop and sweep)
- 1.2 oz (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
- 10 oz (2 cups) roasted unsalted almonds, ground
- 5 oz (1¼ cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup – ¾ cup canola oil
- Sliced Almonds
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add ½ cup oil and toss the mixture. You will start to see small clumps forming. Continue to add oil 1 tbs at a time and toss. More clumps will start to form and the color will darken a little. Test to see if the mixture comes together without breaking apart by squeezing a handful into a ball. If it's still crumbly, add a little more oil. If not, the dough is ready.
- Press everything together to roughly form a large dough. Divide and shape them into small round balls (about 1" in diameter). I use the scale to make equal size balls (0.6 oz each). Rolling each ball between your hands will make the ball smooth.
- Place the shaped balls on a parchment paper lined cookie/baking sheet pan with 1" gap between each dough (cookie will not spread). Gently press a sliced almond onto the top of the dough making sure it's snug or else it may drop off after baking.
- Bake them for 12-15 minutes until cracked forms on the surface. Let cool on the pan placed over a wire rack. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container. Cookies are delicate so handle with care.
35 comments
Made these cookies last night. Here are some random thoughts that may help someone in the future.
Dutch-processed cocoa, not “natural” cocoa, will probably be better for this recipe. From the color in the pictures, it looks like Dutch-processed was used.
Don’t use a cookie scoop; shape each dough ball by hand. Otherwise the mounds are too crumbly, and the shape isn’t right. You do need to flatten a little bit before putting your almond on top, otherwise you won’t get the shape in the pictures. And, yes, as was written in the description, these cookies do not spread at all.
Look at other recipes of Chinese almond cookies to see what the rolled dough balls are supposed supposed to look like. Then you’ll understand if you need more oil or not. There should be no cracks when you place them in the oven.
The cookies overbake very easily. Remove as soon as you see cracks forming.
The description says to put the pan on a cooling rack and let the cookies cool in the pan. However, the pictures show the cookies cooling directly on a cooling rack. Not sure which is correct.
The baking powder is unnecessary, in my opinion. The cookies don’t rise at all. And there’s not enough liquid to dissolve the baking powder properly, so you can sometimes taste it in the final result.
I think I didn’t wait long between roasting my almonds and grinding them. I got a sort of oily paste. Do I just wait longer? Which kitchen gadget would be recommended for this? Do I grind first, and the toast the ground almonds? I ended up using storebought ground almonds.
These are salty and go great with tea.
Thanks for all your random yet helpful thoughts. 🙂 I actually used Hershey’s natural cocoa powder for this recipe. As to the cookies being on the cooling rack in my pictures, they were transferred there for the purpose of shooting pictures. :p The baking powder must be properly whisked to avoid groups of it forming. Baking powder does add a tad of lightness to the cookies. I use a Vitamix to grind my almonds. Toast the almonds before grinding them but the nuts need to be cooled completely before you grind them or else they’ll turn to almond butter (or in your case, an oily paste) really quick. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies. Next time try it with ground peanut. They’re amazing too.
A couple weeks later, found a few of these cookies forgotten in a jar on the shelf. I don’t know if it was safe to eat, but the cookies were still great. Almost as if the cocoa had developed a different flavor. Probably my imagination.
Lol. This sounds like something I’d do too. Eat cookies that I wasn’t sure they’re safe… just because they’re, well… cookies. :p
Glad you love em!!!
Hey AiPing, these look delicious! I love chinese food and I was able to celebrate New Year there once so maybe it’s time for some reminiscence 🙂
Greetings from the student kitchen,
Johanna
Hi Johanna. Thanks for stopping by. Chinese New Year is one of my favourie festivals to celebrate. I just love the sights and sounds during that time. Everyone dressed in red, the red packets, all the cookies and snacks and firecrackers. Lovely! These cookies definitely remind me of it. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Chocolate almond cookies anytime please! Really adorable little bit size cookies, yum 🙂
Haha same for me too! Chocolate and fried chicken. 🙂
Chocolate and peanuts are one of my favorite food combinations… You just elevated the peanut cookie to new heights. I wish I had your cookies to go with my tea right now.
Cookies for breakfast? I like!! I’m assuming you’re having breakfast. 🙂
Those cookies look super adorable. Just by looking at the ingredients, I bet they taste delicious. I totally get the not having to hand out “hong bao” when living far far away from home 😉
Not having to hand out hong bao’s awesome but being away from family sucks. Dilemma dilemma dilemma. :p
OMG these cookies are so adorable and your photos are stunning! Can you send some over? Pinning and sharing of course 🙂
Happy Chinese New Year!
I wish I can send some over and reaching you intact. Wonder if they’d crumble and be destroyed by the time it gets to you. It’s really too dangerous to have so many cookies in the house. Haha. Happy New Year to you!!!
Block my arteries anytime!!! hahah I’m salivating as I read this. Ok, more like drooling. I love chocolate; I love almond cookies. Joining them together is genius!!
I love chocolate you see…. If I could, I’d add chocolate to nasi lemak or roti.. but that’s just weird. So I can’t. :p
AiPing your cookies are so adorable. Chocolate and almonds together in one delicious cookie is hard to resist. Tiny little cookies that would look so cute on a cookie platter. Wishing you and your family a very safe and happy CNY! Take Care
Thanks Bobbi. Enjoy your Chinese New Year too!
Hi AiPing, your cookies look incredibly delicious! Chinese New Year is the period that I always pig out and block my arteries like crazy… will have to exercise more to unclog a few before this year’s Chinese New Year start!
Lol right. Exercise so that one can pig out! Great idea!!! :p
AiPing, these look amazing!! I love how you’ve added cocoa powder to the mix. They look like the type of cookie that everyone would love…yum! 🙂
I do miss the red packets too. Good thing is that I’m far far away from my families, so the only red packets that I have to give is to my sister. Phew!
Back to the cookies, HELLO chocolate! For a chocoholic like me, these cookies are definitely winners! I promise you that I will keep them all to myself. 😉
True true.. I’m far away from home too. Haha! I’d go broke really if I was home. My family’s just too big. Yes, keep them all to yourself.. away from me. Thanks. :p
I like that these cookies are made with a vegetable oil, I am so used to baking with butter. They look so cute with the sliced almond on top!
But Betty… butter is SOOOoooo good. 🙂 I would be in bigger trouble if these have butter.
Oh my gosh, AiPing, these are simply gorgeous! They look like little chocolate cushions with the most delicate slice of almond. I can practically taste them melting in my mouth! I’m such a fan of everything you make, and this is certainly no exception! Happy New Year!
Thanks Kathleen, as I a fan of yours. 🙂 Little chocolate cushions.. I like the sound of that. Happy New Year to you too!!!
Oh my, these cookies look absolutely scrumptious, and bite-sized, and perfect! I love almond cookies, especially chocolate almond cookies!
Bite sized and dangerous. I have placed these away from me but I can’t keep myself from them. :p
That’s the only downside of marriage! LOL! no more ang bao, only giving ang bao 🙂 As usual Ai Ping, I don’t expect any less from you…these are gorgeous!!!
Only I actually haven’t given out any ang paos because I never was home during Chinese New Year after marriage. :p
AiPing, I will be dreaming of these cookies! This cookie party really helps with the homesickness. It would be nice to have your cookies melt in my mouth, but just staring at photos of them makes me feel all melted inside. 🙂
Awwww… that’s just the sweetest thing ever. Thanks for coming up with the cookie party idea and getting everything and everyone together… while moving too!
I’d block my arteries for those cookies :D. Beautiful pictures!
Haha. We can have an artery blocking partay!