Just as 2017 just started, I am looking forward to the start of another year – the year of the rooster. Last year I created a brown butter walnut cookie recipe for the #ChineseNewYearParty. I am excited to participate this year’s #SweetLunarNewYear with these one bite pine nut cookies.
I created the recipe to revisit my fond memories of the small nut cookies I ate growing up. My dad would eat containers and containers of these one-bite cookies. The little cookies were packaged neatly in a pattern that you can see through the container. I remember my favourite were the peanut or cashew ones. They had a sandy texture with a rich nutty flavor. I believe these were actually South East Asia treats and I rarely had them again since moving to Canada.
I wanted to make my version of these one-bite cookies with pine nuts, one of my favourite nuts. The recipe is quite easy, just like icebox cookies, you can freeze the dough, cut and slice when you want to serve them. Served with a cup of freshly brewed Chinese tea, they make the perfect Chinese new year snack.
Ingredients
- 90 g / 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 50 g / 1/4 cup sugar
- 140 g / 1-1/4 cup cake flour
- 1 tbsp whole milk powder (optional)
- 100 g / ¾ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 egg yolks, separated
Method
- Reserve 2 tbsp of pine nuts for topping, and lightly crush the rest.
- In a small bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg yolk to incorporate.
- Fold in flour, pine nuts, and milk powder, if using. Mix until a dough forms, avoid over-mixing.
- Divide dough in half, roll each portion into a log of 2.5 cm in diameter, roll in parchment and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until the dough is firm enough to cut.
- Preheat oven to 325 F / 160 C. Mix the reserved egg yolk with a tablespoon of water, set aside until ready to use. Slice cookies into 2 cm thick disks. Arrange onto a parchment-lined trays. Lightly brush egg wash onto the tops of the cookies, top with 2-3 pine nuts. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden and cookies have baked all the way through.
One-bite cookies are especially dangerous when they are so easy to eat. I tend to overeat whenever I bake mini things. Thank you Christine at Vermillion Roots for hosting the cookie party and having me. Don’t forget to check out these other amazing recipes (random order):
- Snow Fungus Soup by Vermilion Roots
- Indonesian Honeycomb Cake (Bingka Ambon) by What To Cook Today
- Chinese Peanut Cookies by Wok & Skillet
- Vietnamese Steamed Rice Cakes by A Taste of Joy and Love
- Gluten-Free Chinese Almond Cookies by Grits & Chopsticks
- Black Sesame Shortbread Cookies by Little Sweet Baker
- Ice Cream Mooncakes by Brunch-n-Bites
- Coconut Red Bean Pudding by The Missing Lokness
- Korean Caramelized Sweet Potatoes (Goguma Mattang) by What Great Grandma Ate
- Cashew Nut Cookies by Anncoo Journal
- Baked Coconut Walnut Sticky Rice Cake by Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Black Sesame Cream Puffs by Pink Wings
- Cashew Nut Cookies by Roti n Rice
- Mini Peanut Puffs (Kok Chai) by Malaysian Chinese Kitchen
- Thousand Layer Cake (Lapis Legit) by Daily Cooking Quest
- Pineapple Cookies (Nastar) by V for Veggy
- Almond Orange Spiral Cookies by Butter & Type
- Three Color Dessert (Che Ba Mau) by The Viet Vegan
- Year of the Rooster Mochi by Thirsty for Tea
- Korean Tea Cookies (Dasik) by Kimchimari
- Sweet Sticky Nian Gao (Kuih Bakul) by Lisa’s Lemony Kitchen
- Sweet Rice Balls with Peanut Butter (Tang Yuan) by Omnivore’s Cookbook
- Candied Ginger (Mut Gung) by Plant Crush
- Chick Egg Tarts by Dessert Girl
- Red Bean Soup with Black Glutinous Rice by Nut Free Wok
- Orange Scented Sweet Red Bean by Lime and Cilantro
Happy Chinese new year, I wish you and your family health and prosperity!
I love these one bite cookies! Happy Lunar New Year!
Thank you, Jeanette. Happy Lunar New Year!
Happy Chinese New Year Betty! I am loving this pine nut cookies, a neat twist to the more traditional peanut or almond cookies served in CNY 🙂
Thanks, Anita. Happy Chinese new year!
Happy Chinese New Year Betty 😀
Love the idea of pine nuts cookies 😀
Thank you Lisa, happy Chinese new year!
They are cute and tiny! I am sure I will overeat too, especially during the afternoon hours. 😛 Kung Hei Fat Choy, Betty! Wish you a wonderful year ahead!
These look great! However, I don’t see the step where you incorporate the crushed nuts. Do they get mixed in with the flour? Thanks!
Thanks for catching that! Yes, you would incorporate it with the flour. Happy baking!