Chinese Tea Cookies From Hawaii Recipes

CHINESE ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream butter, lard, and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and almond extract and continue beating until smooth.
• Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together, and stir into butter mixture. Knead a bit with your hands to make a stiff, smooth dough.
• Form dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place 3 inches apart on a buttered baking sheet. Flatten with the palm of your hand, and center a whole almond on each cookie. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned on bottom but very pale on top. Cool on racks.

HAWAIIAN TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, lemon juice and vanilla.
• Add flour and coconut until well blended.
• Shape into (4) 2 inch rolls.
• Roll in colored sugar.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours.
• With a sharp knife, saw into 1/4 inch slices.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 10- 12 minutes, or until SLIGHTLY browned.

CHAI TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour, white sugar, powdered sugar, tea mix, and salt in a food processor or small chopper. Pulse until tea is pulverized and distributed throughout the dry ingredients. Mix in cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves. Add butter and vanilla extract. Pulse together just until a rough dough is formed.
• Scrape out dough onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Form dough into an 8-inch log. Cover with paper and roll the log until smooth. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• Use a sharp knife to slice the chilled log of dough into 1/3-inch-thick pieces. Place on the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are just beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

HAWAIIAN COOKIE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine flour, confectioners' sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix well. Add butter and vanilla extract and stir until a soft dough forms. Shape into 36 balls. Place 1 ball in each of 36 ungreased mini muffins cups; press lightly into the bottom and up the sides to make a crust.
• Spoon 1 teaspoon pineapple preserves into each crust. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon macadamia nuts over pineapple. Beat sugar and egg together in a small bowl to combine; mix in coconut until well blended. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the mixture over each macadamia layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust and coconut are golden brown, 23 to 33 minutes.
• Cool in pans for 20 minutes. Hold each pan upside-down at an angle over a wire rack; tap bottoms of cups lightly with a butter knife to release tarts. Let cool completely.