Walnut Crescent Cookies
A delicious Christmas Cookie recipe, these Crescent Cookies can be made with hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds or pecans – whatever you prefer!
Crescent Cookie Recipe
If you’ve never had a crescent cookie, you need to correct that immediately.
These cookies are light and melt-in-your-mouth and have more flavor than their Christmas cousins – the shortbread cookie. They are the perfect balance of buttery and nutty.
The official name for these cookies is actually “Vanillekipferl” (pronounced VAN-el-eu-KIP-fuhl) which literally means “vanilla crescent” or “vanilla moon.” They originated in Vienna, Austria but many other cultures have since incorporated them into their holiday traditions. Different cultures tend to use different nuts – Italians tend to prefer hazelnuts, while the Austrians used almonds.
Me? Well, I’m a “whatever I have in the cupboard” type of girl. I had walnuts on hand, so these became walnut crescent cookies. The taste change is subtle, unless you are an avid nut fan.
You can use store-bought ground nuts (often called a meal) for this, or grind them yourself in a food processor.
Crescent Cookie Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups butter, softened
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup ground walnuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- PLUS ½ cup powdered sugar for dusting
Tip: use your favorite nut out of pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds to make these cookies.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Food processor or grinder
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Slipmat
- Cookie sheet
How to Make Walnut Crescent Cookies
Grind the walnuts in a food processor until as fine as possible – about 2 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix all the together ingredients to form smooth paste – adding more butter to achieve the right consistency.
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes on the counter.
Preheat oven to 350F
Line two baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
One large handful at a time, roll the dough into logs to about 1” diameter. Cut into 3” sections, place on the baking sheets, and form each piece into a crescent.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar within a couple minutes of removing from the oven to ensure the sugar sticks.
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Walnut Crescent Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups butter, softened
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup ground walnuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- PLUS ½ cup powdered sugar for dusting
These melt-in-your-mouth walnut crescent cookies are a classic Christmas cookie that everyone will enjoy.
For more delicious Christmas cookie recipes, check out our Hot Chocolate Eggnog Cookies or one of the following cookie posts from some of my favorite fellow foodies:
Holiday Rich Butter Cookies – Houseful Of Nicholes
Rolo Pretzel Cookies – Creating Really Awesome Fun Things
Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Ashley & Co
Minty Holiday Cookies – Amy Ever After
Scottish Shortbread Christmas Cookie Wedges – Albion Gould
Loaded Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – This Worthey Life
Brown Sugar Shortbread – Eat Picks
Pretty Decorated Sugar Cookies – 100 Directions
Christmas Rose Cookies – Divas With A Purpose
Nutella Brownie Cookies – Big Green Pen
No Bake Cookies – Hysterical Mom
Norwegian Cookies – Kringla – Little Family Adventure
Cake Mix Christmas Cookies – Mom Generations
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