Chinese Almond Cakes

Ingredients

• Servings: 3
• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 36 blanched almonds
• 1 egg yolk

Recipe

• sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl. using pastry blender or knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• beat the egg together with 2 tablespoons of the water and the almond extract. add this to the flour mixture and mix with a fork until dough leaves the sides of the bowl.
• on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth. wrap it in foil or cling-wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
• meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• form dough into 1 inch balls and place them 3 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. flatten each cookie to about 1/4 inch thick and press an almond into the center of each. beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush on cookies.
• bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. remove to wire rack to cool.