There are lots of cookies baking these few weeks, as we gear up for CNY :) CNY is the perfect excuse for me to bake more cookies, as I seldom bake cookies during normal days. Cookies are not exactly the healthiest food I guess :p But remember, moderation is the key! :)
I couldn't resist to try baking these when I saw the recipe shared by travellingfoodies. The ingredients are simple and few, and the steps look straightforward enough for me to follow :D Hehe.
As I have a packet of whole almonds inside my fridge which I need to find good use for, I decided to ground my own almonds. I searched through many sites to find out how to do that at home. I found out that it is best to blanch the almonds first before grinding the almonds.
Steps on grounding almonds (or you can just buy from the store):
1. Place almonds in a bowl.
2. Pour boiled water into the bowl. You can pour just enough water to ensure all almonds are submerged inside. Set your timer to 1 min.
3. After 1 min, run the almonds under tap water.
4. Drain and remove the skins. You should be able to slide the skins off fairly easily.
5. Lay the almonds on a baking tray in a single layer.
6. Bake the almonds for 10mins at 160 degree Celsius, stir the almonds around, then bake for another 5 mins.
7. Let the almonds cool down a bit before slightly grinding them in a chopper/food processor. I did not ground the almonds to very fine, as I prefer crunchy cookies.
I reduced the icing sugar as I read from travellingfoodies that the original 80g is too sweet. 50g is just about right. My packet of whole almonds only produced 87g of almond bits. I top up with ground almond to 135g (i.e. almond bits + ground almond = 135g).
I am not sure why but my cookies don't smell or taste as fragrant as I thought it would be. Perhaps I did not put enough almonds. If I bake these again, I will put in 1 tsp of vanilla essence. But it's no doubt a healthy treat! :) Overall, I find the cookies crumbly and has a nice crunch (from the almond bits).
Just one more CNY cookies bake to go for me :)
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