Based on mixed results from readers, we re-tested and updated this Chinese walnut cookies recipe to include more precise measurements including weights in grams!
When you’re young, it can sometimes seem like the world revolves around those sweet treats that are just beyond your reach. Well when my mother was young, these Chinese walnut cookies were one of those sweet treats. She would walk back and forth…back and forth…eyeing those cookies behind the glass case like they were a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Golden yellow and dotted with a perfect crunchy walnut.
Years later during sticky summers in Beijing, me, my mom, and sister would take weekly trips to the Chinese bakery where we would give in to our shameless desire for all things sweet, crunchy, sprinkled with nuts, and covered in chocolate. The bakery in question had a glass window where the cookies were passed to you like life-affirming pills in an old-school apothecary. There were boxes and boxes of cookies, stacked perfectly in plastic bag-lined cardboard boxes–no frills, bells, or whistles, just the most simplistic of utilitarian packaging to ensure that the cookies stayed nice and fresh.
Well, these walnut cookies aren’t behind a glass window or too high up on the shelf. This recipe yields deliciously rotund, just slightly sweet cookies that are positively packed with ground walnuts and topped off with that perfect crunchy walnut in the middle. These Chinese walnut cookies go great with a morning cup of coffee or an evening mug of black tea.
So grab a bag of walnuts, along with a few other things, and head into the kitchen!
Tips for this Chinese walnut cookie recipe:
* Recipes for truly authentic Chinese walnut cookies use lard; we use butter because it’s more widely available.
* Use a kitchen scale for more precise measurements to get the best results
* I like this rounder cookie shape, but you can also press them into a flatter shape before baking.
* After toasting the walnuts, I like to crush them under a rolling pin to get them to the desired texture.
Sift the cake flour, baking soda and baking powder together and set aside. Mix the butter, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl, stir thoroughly until the mixture is creamed. Now add the flour mixture to the butter mixture along with finely chopped walnuts.
Beat the egg, put aside 2 teaspoons of the beaten egg for brushing later, add the rest to the dough mixture. Work the mixture into a dough ball. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. Just note that the dough might be lightly crumbly, but it should come together when you take the time and work it into a ball.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a clean surface, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball.
And position them on the baking sheet a couple inches apart. All of the cookies should fit onto one pan.
Take the walnut halves and gently press one into each cookie.
Cover the cookies with a clean kitchen towel, let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
While that’s happening, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the dough is done resting, brush each with the beaten egg that you saved.
Bake your walnut cookies for 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cookies sit inside the oven for another 5 minutes before opening the oven door and taking them out.
Let cool and enjoy these Chinese walnut cookies with your morning coffee or afternoon tea!
Chinese Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour (270 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (3 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (2 g)
- 8 tablespoons butter or lard (4 oz or 115g, at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup sugar (115 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (1 g)
- 1 egg (beaten and divided; the egg I used weighed about 62 g with shell on)
- 3/4 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts, plus 12 raw walnut halves (75 g)
Instructions
- Sift the cake flour, baking soda and baking powder together and set aside. Mix the butter, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl, stir thoroughly until the mixture is creamed. Now add the flour mixture to the butter mixture along with the finely chopped walnuts. Beat the egg, put aside 2 teaspoons of the beaten egg and add the rest to the dough mixture. Work the mixture into a dough ball. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. Just note that the dough might be lightly crumbly, but it should come together when you take the time and work it into a ball.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a clean surface, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball, position them on the baking sheet a couple inches apart. All of the cookies should fit onto one pan.
- Take the walnut halves and gently press one into each cookie. Let the cookies rest for 15 to 20 minutes while covered with a clean kitchen towel.
- While that’s happening, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the dough is done resting, brush each with the beaten egg that you put aside and then bake for 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cookies sit inside the oven for another 5 minutes before taking them out. Let cool and enjoy!
Is it 75g of toasted walnuts inside the dough or does the 75g include the 12 pieces to top each cookie with?
Hi Justin, 75g walnuts are for the dough only.
Hi, I’m trying to figure out how many eggs i’m supposed to use for 40 cookies, i’m doing this recipe for a culinary project, so if you could get back to me as soon as possible that would be wonderful!
Hi Alexia, this recipe makes 12 cookies, for 40, you should make 4 x the recipe, and you will have 8 extra cookies :-)
Hi !
How do you toast the walnuts ? What temperature and for how long ?
Thanks.
Hi Brenda, pre-heat the oven to 350°F, and roast walnuts for about 5 minutes :-)
Hi, I made this recipe and it is delicious. I used the cornflour substitution to make all purpose flour into “cake flour”. I used 50/50 lard and butter because that’s what I had. I followed the gram measurements which I appreciate you giving because cup measures are notoriously inaccurate depending on how loose or densely you pack the cup. Also, for some they might not be aware that North American cups are not the same as cups from other countries. Having said all that, I have a question about the rather similar almond coookies which I made at CNY- that recipe calls for a lot more baking soda and powder – I thought it made them slightly bitter – is it absolutely necessary? (Nobody else noticed though :))
Hi Gillian, you should definitely cut back on the baking soda and powder if you are sensitive to the taste.
How long these cookies can keep?
For a long time, like a couple of weeks in an airtight container.
These cookies are so delicious, especially with some jasmine tea. The recipe is easy to follow. Thank you 🙏
Thank you for your lovely comment, TL.
Do you know how long this will last without putting them in the refrigerator in summer time?
Hi Christie, it should last a couple of weeks in an air-tight container.
This recipe sounds yummy. I remember when I was young having these at Chinese wedding banquets. I can’t wait to make it. But there an alternative to “cake flour”? I don’t know what that is. Can I use plain or self raising flour instead? Thank you.
Hi Bobbi, you can use all purpose if you can’t find cake flour. Cake flour has less gluten.
Delicious light walnut flavor and lovely soft crumbly texture. Perfect with a hot mug of tea! I followed the recipe exactly with the gram measurements and a scale. Dough did require some patience, but it all worked out. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for trying the recipe, Sonja. The crumbly texture comes from drier dough, so glad it all worked out :-)