Almond Crisps
A delicious variation of court-style taosu (桃酥), with a crisp, crumbly texture and almond slices pressed onto the surface.
Ingredients
Lard (Material A)
240g
Powdered sugar (Material A)
250g
Salt (Material A)
3g
Whole egg (Material A)
60g
Cake flour (Material B)
500g
Baking powder (Material B)
3g
Baking soda (Material B)
6g
Ammonium bicarbonate (Material B)
3g
Almond pieces (Material C, pre-roasted and chopped)
75g
Egg yolk (Material C, for brushing surface)
to taste
Instructions
1
Prepare ingredients
Toast the almond pieces in the oven at 150°C for 8–10 minutes until fragrant. Let cool slightly, then chop and set aside.
2
Cream the fats
Mix and whip Material A (except for the egg) until creamy and pale white.
3
Combine the dough
Add the whole egg to the mixture from step 2 in batches, mixing well after each addition. Sift in Material B and mix until just combined.
4
Add the almonds
Fold in the pre-roasted chopped almonds and mix into a dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10–20 minutes.
5
Divide and shape
Divide the dough into 25g portions. Roll each portion into a ball and gently press down to flatten.
6
Bake
Place on the middle rack of a preheated oven, top with almond slices, and brush generously with egg yolk. Bake at 170°C (bottom heat) for 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
