Chinese Cookies Recipe

Authentic No-Fortune Chinese Cookies Recipe

Let’s face it – we all love cookies! There’s just nothing better to eat than a warm homemade cookie that is brimming with butter, sugar and chocolate chips.

But why not try to make a different type of cookie the next time you feel a craving coming on? There are numerous recipes for Chinese cookies (you need to have a taste of our delicious chinese dessert recipes), but I have decided to pick one of my top favourites for today’s entry. 

Chinese butter cookies (or Xiaodianxin) are traditional cookies made by the Chinese people to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Not only are these cookies sweet and full of butter, but they are also easy to make and only require five simple ingredients.

So why not take a look at my recipe down below and try making these delectable cookies for yourself.

Ingredients:

  • Softened Unsalted Butter (1 ½ sticks)
  • Confectioner’s Sugar (¾ cups)
  • Vanilla Extract (½ tsp)
  • Self-Raising Flour (1 ½ cups)
  • Eggs (our yummy egg yolk recipe is a must for you) (x1)

Step One: Making The Cookies

Chinese butter cookies are often baked for the Lunar New Year celebrations – where they are primarily enjoyed by family members and friends.

The cookies themselves are delightful in appearance and are distinguished by their rich, buttery flavor and overall crispy consistency. 

However, before you can sample these delicious cookies, you are going to have to make them. But don’t worry, because the process of making the dough for these cookies is straightforward.

To begin the recipe, you must first preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 F). 

Once you have done this, you can allow the oven to warm up while you move onto the next step. Take your sticks of unsalted butter and cut them up into small cubes, then transfer them to a bowl and allow them to soften at room temperature.

This is arguably the most effective way to soften your butter. However, you can place the butter in the microwave if you are short on time. 

When the butter is soft, transfer it to an electric whisk set to a medium speed. Allow the whisker to stir the butter until it has taken on a smooth and creamy consistency.

Next, you will need to add the confectioner’s sugar, which should give the butter a light and fluffy appearance. 

Crack the egg and whisk it in a small bowl before slowly adding it to the mixer, keep doing this until you have no egg left and the butter has increased in volume.

Add in the vanilla extract and then remove the bowl from the whisker. When you have done this, you can begin sifting the self-raising flour into the bowl. 

Once you have fully added the flour to the mixture, then you can use a spatula or wooden spoon to begin combining it with the dough.

Do not over stir the flour, just make sure that it has been folded into the cookie mix. When you have completed this process, your cookie dough will be ready!

Step Two: Shaping The Cookies

If there is one feature that distinguishes Chinese butter cookies from other Asian cookie recipes (check out our asian octopus recipe) – it is their distinctive shape.

When baking the cookies for the Lunar New Year, Chinese people will often form the cookies into flowers or stars, before allowing them to bake in the oven. And this practice can be executed in several different ways. 

The simplest way to shape your cookie is by flattening out your dough on a smooth surface and using a flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut it. However, certain versions of the recipe ask you to pipe the dough into the flower shape, which is the method I like using best. 

Transfer your finished cookie dough to a piping bag and line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment. Using a star-shaped nozzle, pipe the cookie dough onto the baking tray in small, circular shapes – these should be only 1.5-inches in diameter.

Make sure the cookies are evenly spaced and not touching each other. 

To ensure that the cookies do not touch each other during baking, you can set them apart by 1.5-inches of space. Sometimes Chinese butter cookies can lose their distinctive shape while they bake, but there is something you can do to combat this. 

If your first attempt results in misshapen butter cookies, then I suggest swapping out the confectioner’s sugar and using a combination of caster sugar and icing sugar instead.

Sometimes combining these two ingredients can allow the cookies to retain their shape while they bake, resulting in more distinctive and beautiful patterns. 

Step Three: Bake The Cookies

When it comes to baking Chinese butter cookies, the cookies themselves require very little baking time. This is because the cookies often bake under very high temperatures, which results in a quick and even bake.

Because the baking time for these cookies is so short, I do not recommend leaving them unattended in the oven. After all, you don’t want to risk the cookies burning or losing their iconic shape. 

For the final stage of the recipe, you will need to either cut out your cookie or pipe them onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Once you have done this, place them in the preheated oven and allow them to bake for 10-13 minutes.

Once the cookies have turned a golden brown, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on a flat surface or wire rack. 

Sometimes you may find yourself removing light-coloured cookies from the oven, but this is often natural when it comes to baking Chinese butter cookies. If the cookies are light in color when you remove them from the oven, then allow them to cool and their color will eventually darken. 

When the cookies have fully cooled, you can decorate them with small pieces of soft cherry – which you can place in the middle of the flower for some added vibrancy. If you do not wish to do this, then you should store the cookies in an airtight container for safekeeping. 

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