Almond Cookies for CNY 2014

This year has brought us to new and exciting times of our lives. Firstly, we moved out of the flat we have been renting since Toddler was a wee bit baby. It was cosy and secluded. Just right for our small new family back then.
Now that Toddler is behaving like any regular toddler, he needs space to move and we need additional storage for our ever growing stuff at home.

This made us really like our new place since it has way more space than the old one. Not to mention a very nice simple but big kitchen! Though our flat doesn't give us total privacy, the breezy weather and the proximity to public transport, mall and grocery store are a big pay off, so thank you very much.

Secondly, and the biggest milestone for our family this year, it's school time for Toddler! I was scared out of my wits weeks before school started. I thought that maybe my kid ain't ready yet and that I might have to work on the separation anxiety he might feel once I leave him in school. So I researched on how to ease separation anxiety for toddlers. I had a lot of sleepless night reading anything I can find on the topic.

Then on the first day of school, my Husband and I left our kid at school for the first time. Suprise! He ran inside and never looked back. At that time, I held back my tears and realized that it was I who was having separation anxiety. It was a good thing my Husband was there to support me. Whew! So from that day on I realized Toddler was no longer a baby. Cliche as it may sound, but Time does fly very fast. Sigh...

Anyway, we are really looking forward to relaxing every day in our new home and this new chapter in our Toddler's life. So thank you for a good start of the year. And we wish to extend these wonderful blessings we have to everyone this Chinese New Year 2014. To celebrate the coming of the wooden horse, I would like to share this wonderful recipe of almond cookies that I have baked time and again without fail. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Almond Cookies
recipe from The Novice Chef, makes about 30 cookies

• 2 cups (277g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 14 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup (114g) room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar (I lessen sugar to 132g)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp (4g) almond extract (I used 3g instead to lessen almond taste)
• slivered almonds, (optional)

Instruction

1. Pre-heat oven at 190 C
2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. Cream butter and sugar in a separate mixing bowl.
4. Add egg and almond extract.
5. Add flour 1/4 cup at a time.
6. Roll into 1 tsp ball and flatten with the bottom of glass.
7. If using slivered almonds, add 3 pieces per cookie dough.
8. Bake at 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown (I didn’t bake it for 8 minutes since I find it a little “raw”to my liking. For a dry and crunchy bite, bake at 12-14 mins.
9. Let it cool and enjoy!