Chinese almond cakes

Chinhtmese Almond Cakes (taken and translated from Leisure-Cat blog)

http://www.leisure-cat.com/frm_1165.htm

150 g Almond (Whole with skin)

600 g Mung bean flour

450 g Powdered sugar

150 g Almond powder **I assume this is ground almonds

50 ml Water

300 g Lard or solid vegetable oil (trex/white flora/cookeen…) softened

1 teaspoon Almond essence (optional)

Bash/crush the almonds in a food bag with a rolling pin.

Put crushed almonds, mung bean flour, sugar, ground almonds and fat into a large bowl. Rub fat into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs and no flour spots remain. Add the water and stir with a spatula. (Add t e almond essence with water if using.)

The mixture will be quite dry and crumbly but should hold together if squeezed firmly. Pile into a wooden almond cookie mould and compact the mixture in (it needs to be well pressed or cookie will crumble when turned out). Scrape excess off with a palette knife and compact the mixture again.

Tap sharply onto work surface to remove the almond cake.

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 150 deg C for 30 minutes. Take out to cool a little before transferring to wire rack to cool.

Makes 54 approximately.