Jiao yan su, Sichuan peppercorn shortbread cookies

Mix 30 grams beaten egg, 70 grams sugar and 6 grams salt together in a bowl.

Whip with chopsticks about five minutes until everything is incorporated and the egg is slightly foamy.

Mix in 16 grams Sichuan peppercorn oil and 84 grams lard until the oil is absorbed and the batter is uniform.

Sift in 200 grams cake flour, 2 grams baking powder, 2 grams baking soda and 10 grams milk powder.

Fold gently with a spatula about two minutes until combined, then cover and chill in the fridge for an hour in a hot climate or 15 minutes in a cool one.

Press the dough flat on plastic wrap, cover it, form a rough rectangle and roll it out to about half a centimetre thick.

Chill another 15 minutes if the kitchen is tropical, or carry straight on.

Slice the sheet vertically into about three centimetre sections, then cut across to get cookies roughly four by three, and transfer them to a baking tray.

Brush with the leftover beaten egg as an egg wash.

Bake in a preheated 175 degree Celsius oven for 13 minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack.