Almond Thin Cookies

Every Chinese New Year, I look forward to a few yummy goodies usually only available around this festive season. Almond thin cookies is one of them. However, due to the price increase in things like sugar etc., we consumers have to pay more for our Chinese New Year goodies including my favourite almond thin cookies! A small container of these cookies were seen on sale by the road side for RM17! And each 1-inch square cookie only had two miserable almond flakes on them. So I decided to try and make them myself. I found a few sites online but this {one} looks closest to what I am craving for though not quite there. The author did give a warning in her title (Not-So-Thin Almonds!). I gave it a try anyway.


This is what I used:

227g SCS butter; unsalted
1 large egg
Less than 1 cup white sugar (I reduced about 1 large tablespoon)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

100g almonds flakes (original recipe calls for 2 cups or 340g but when spread out, I only managed to use about 100g)
Whites of 1 egg (for glazing)


This is what I did (copied directly from {site} with minor adjustments):
    •    Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
    •    Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
    •    Sift together the flour and salt and slowly add to butter mixture. Mix until just blended.
    •    Divide batter in half and place each half on in the centre of two greaseproof paper.
    •    Dip a spatula in warm water and spread batter to cover the entire baking sheet, making sure batter is spread evenly. Lay a thin layer of almond flakes and press gently into dough.
    •    Bake each sheet about 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven.
    •    Cut hot cookies into neat 2-inch squares. Glaze cookies generously but gently to prevent displacing almond flakes in the process. Return to oven and bake until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent over-baking.
    •    Remove from oven to a wire rack. Slide spatula under cookies to loosen. Cool completely on cookie sheets. Store in airtight containers with layers of wax paper between layers


This is the result:

Also not as thin as I would like them but with enough almond flakes for each bite!

This is what I encountered:
I had a problem spreading the batter evenly and thinly on the baking sheet. So the thicker parts of the batter were still soft inside. This is also why I only managed to make 4 dozen cookies instead of 6 as per original recipe.

I find that the cookies were still too sweet even though I had reduced the amount of sugar. Otherwise, it would have been almost perfect!

Another problem is cutting them without displacing the almond flakes. The almond flakes just didn’t stick even though I pressed them down firmly before baking.


This is what I will do next time:
There must be a way to get the batter spread out evenly and thinly. Place another greaseproof paper on top and roll out using skewers at the side as guide to thickness perhaps? Divide batter into three instead of only two? Mine is only a small oven anyway. (Can't wait to get a proper built-in oven!)

Try with only 3/4 cup sugar next time. 

Try baking with a layer of egg white glaze first before cutting as another measure to get the almond flakes to stick to the cookie besides pressing them down firmly.


This is what it costs:
SCS Unsalted Butter RM8
Prai Sugar RM0.50
1 Egg RM0.50
Flour RM0.50
Almond RM4
Vanilla Extract RM0.10
TOTAL: RM13.60 for 4 dozen cookies
Hidden costs - electricity, labour, time.

This is small scale, homemade, with good quality ingredients. Imagine using big cans of cheap margarine etc..


Will definitely make more soon! Hopefully can get some decent ones out for Chinese New Year!

{check out second attempt: Almond Thin Cookies Take Two!}