Name: Vanilla crescents – tender Christmas cookies that melt in your mouth
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 50 servings
Ingredients: For the batter; 280 g plain wheat flour; 200 g cold butter (cut into cubes); 100 g ground walnuts or almonds; 70 g powdered sugar; 1 egg yolk; 1 pinch of salt; For coating after baking; 80 g powdered sugar; 2 packets of vanilla sugar

Vanilla crescents – tender Christmas cookies that melt in your mouth

Vanilla crescents are that kind of cookie you just can't have Christmas without. Tender, delicate, scented with butter, nuts and vanilla — and above all, very simple to make, so you can manage them even in the evening after work. Just mix dough from flour, butter, ground nuts and sugar, quickly shape small crescents, bake until golden and while still warm roll in powdered and vanilla sugar. They look great on a plate next to Christmas gingerbread, stay soft for a long time in a tin and are also ideal as an edible gift for family or coworkers.

⏱ 60 min● easy♨ 50 servings

Step by step

Instructions

0 z 9

1Step 1Put the plain flour, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt and ground nuts into a larger bowl. Briefly mix the dry ingredients so the sugar and nuts are evenly distributed in the flour – this will help the dough come together better and prevent any "pockets" full of sugar.
2Step 2Add cold butter cut into small cubes and the egg yolk. Start working with your hands – first crumble the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles "crumbs." Then quickly form the dough into a compact ball. If the dough seems too dry and crumbly, you can add 1–2 tablespoons of cold water; if it’s too soft, chill it in the fridge for a while to firm up.
3Step 3Wrap the finished dough in cling film or simply cover it in the bowl and let it rest in the fridge for at least 20–30 minutes. The butter will harden in the dough, making it easier to shape and helping the crescents hold their shape during baking.
4Step 4Meanwhile, prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 170 °C (top/bottom heat). Also prepare a bowl for coating – mix the powdered sugar with the vanilla sugar and set it aside; you will need it right after baking.
5Step 5Take the rested dough out of the fridge and divide it into smaller portions. Roll each piece into a rope about 1 cm in diameter, then cut it into shorter pieces with a knife. Shape small crescents from these pieces with your fingers – you can slightly taper the ends and gently curve the body into a crescent shape. Try to make all the crescents roughly the same size so they bake evenly.
6Step 6Place the crescents on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spaced slightly apart. They will rise a bit in the oven but won’t spread like cookies, so large gaps aren’t necessary.
7Step 7Put the sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 10–15 minutes, depending on the size of the crescents. Watch their ends closely – finished crescents remain pale, only the bottoms and tips are lightly golden. Do not bake them too long, otherwise they will be hard and less tender.
8Step 8Carefully transfer the baked crescents (you can move them with the paper) to a work surface or rack and let them cool briefly – about 3–5 minutes. They should still be warm but not hot, so they don’t fall apart in your hands. While warm, gently roll the crescents in the prepared powdered and vanilla sugar mixture. It’s easiest to hold a crescent by both ends and gently roll it several times in the sugar.
9Step 9Let the sugared crescents cool completely on a rack or board, then transfer them to an airtight container. Ideally let them rest for at least a day – they’ll become even more tender and the flavors will meld beautifully. Kept cool and dry they’ll last for several weeks, which is handy for preparing Christmas cookies in advance.

Kitchen tip

For extra old-fashioned tenderness “like grandma’s,” use good butter with a higher fat content and don’t skimp on the nuts — you can even replace part of the flour with more ground nuts. Don’t overwork the dough so the butter doesn’t melt unnecessarily, otherwise the crescents may turn out harder after baking. If you’re baking multiple types of cookies, make these crescents early — time only improves them.

Customize this recipe

Variants and alternatives

Almond vanilla crescents: use finely ground almonds instead of walnuts. The crescents will have a subtler flavor and a very “Christmasy” aroma.

Approximate per serving

Nutritional values

Energie75 kcalProteins1.3 gSacharidy7 gTuky4.5 g

Vanilla crescents – tender Christmas cookies that melt in your mouth

Instructions

Variants and alternatives

Nutritional values

Save this recipe for next time.

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Instructions

Variants and alternatives

Nutritional values

Save this recipe for next time.

Similar recipes

Japonské kuřecí teriyaki s rýží a brokolicí

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Write a comment Cancel reply

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