Peking Duck Cookies Recipe

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder & soda and 5-spice in a mixing bowl. Add the weighed out duck fat (1/2 duck fat & 1/2 vegetable shortening works well too) and put the bowl in a freezer for 15 minutes to chill thoroughly.

Using a pastry cutter or bench scraper, cut the chilled fat into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse sand.

Add 1 egg and almond extract and stir with a rubber spatula, working everything into a dough. If it seems too wet, add flour a little at a time until you have a tight dough. Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.

Portion 2 Tablespoon dough balls and press them into disks about 1/2 inch thick. Place evenly on a tray lined with parchment paper or a silpat, leaving about 1 inch of spreading space between cookies. (Optional: press a single blanched almond into the center of each cookie.)

Beat the remaining egg, and brush each cookie with egg-wash. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Allow at least 15 minutes of cooling time.