Description
These melt-in-your-mouth cashew nut cookies are a delightful treat perfect for Chinese New Year celebrations. Made with finely chopped roasted cashew nuts and a smooth, non-sticky dough, these small, buttery cookies have a delicate crumb and a nutty aroma. Topped with halved whole cashew nuts for a charming presentation, they are baked to a golden perfection and can be stored for weeks, making them an ideal festive snack or gift.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 125 gr roasted cashew nuts (unsalted)
- 55 gr icing sugar
- 125 gr all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt (omit if using salted cashew nuts)
Wet Ingredients
- 65 gr cooking oil (plus more as needed)
- 1 egg yolk (for egg wash)
For Decoration
- 20 whole cashew nuts, split into halves
Instructions
- Toast the cashew nuts: If your cashew nuts are not already roasted, place them in a dry pan over low to medium heat. Toast them for about 5 minutes until you smell a wonderful nutty aroma, making sure not to burn them. Remove from the heat and let them cool completely.
- Prepare cashew nut halves for decoration: Split the whole cashew nuts along their natural line into halves. Set aside these halves to decorate the cookies later.
- Chop the toasted cashew nuts: Add the cooled roasted cashew nuts into a food processor and pulse several times until finely chopped but not powdered.
- Make the cookie dough: Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt. Add the chopped cashew nuts and gradually pour in the cooking oil, mixing continuously until a smooth, non-sticky dough forms. You may need to add slightly more oil than the recipe calls for to achieve the right texture.
- Shape and decorate the cookies: Pinch off about 10-12 grams of dough and roll it into a small smooth ball. Press one cashew nut half gently on top of each ball as decoration. Repeat this for all dough pieces. Arrange the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between them as they do not spread significantly during baking.
- Apply egg wash and bake: Brush the tops of the cookies lightly with the egg yolk wash. Bake the cookies on the middle rack in the preheated oven for around 15 minutes or until they turn golden brown. If you make larger cookies, adjust the baking time accordingly to ensure even baking.
- Cool the cookies: After baking, let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store properly: Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container or cookie jar. They can be kept fresh for several weeks at room temperature.
Notes
- If using salted cashew nuts, omit the added salt in the recipe.
- You may need to adjust the amount of cooking oil slightly to form a smooth dough that is not sticky.
- The cookies are traditionally small, but you can increase their size; remember to adjust the baking time accordingly.
- Ensure the cashew nuts are completely cooled before processing to avoid oily dough.
- Use parchment paper on the baking tray for easy cookie removal and cleanup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: cashew nut cookies, Chinese New Year, nutty cookies, festive cookies, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, baked cookies, homemade cookies
