Chinese Almond Cookies

• To make 24 cookies:
• 170g sifted all-purpose flour
• 100g white sugar
• 1g baking soda
• 2g salt
• 100g lard or margarine
• 1 egg
• 3ml (or to your liking) almond extract
• 24 almonds

1. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together into a bowl. Cut in the lard or margarine (I used margarine in this instance) until mixture sticks. Add the egg (I ended up using the 1 whole egg and some water) and almond extract - I only put in 1 teaspoon, but on tasting, don't be scared to put a bit more. Mix well.
2. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Set them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Place an almond on top of each cookie and press down to flatten slightly.
3. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) oven for 15-18 minutes. They will seem like they are under-cooked when you take them out of the oven, but this gives a more chewy taste, leave in longer if you prefer a bit of a crunch.  Cool on rack.
4. Voila!  Scrumptious cookies to nibble at!