Almond Crescent Cookies
Almond Crescent Cookies, a must make melt in your mouth, shortbread type Christmas Cookie. Fast, easy and the perfect addition to your Cookie Tray. They will be the first to go!
It’s already October and that means, you can start baking Christmas Cookies! I like to get my cookies made and in the freezer. And yes these Almond Crescent Cookies which she always called Viennese Crescents, are another Delicious Christmas Cookie Recipe thanks to my Mom.
Every year without fail she would bake up Whipped Shortbread (sometimes she would add chopped nuts instead of chocolate chips), Classic Shortbread, Hello Dollies (or also known as 7 layer bars).
And my own personal favourite, Coconut Jam Squares, these are an amazing bar cookie. I could eat a whole pan of those ! And of course these yummy melt in your mouth Crescent Cookies.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – softened, I use salted butter
- Sugar – granulated or fine sugar
- Salt
- Nuts – almonds, cashews, walnuts or even hazelnuts, toasting the nuts first makes them more flavorful
- Flour – all purpose flour
- Powdered sugar – also known as icing or confectioners sugar
How to Roast Nuts
Place the nuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking / cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until they are golden brown, remove immediately from pan to cool.
How to make Almond Crescent Cookies
In a large bowl beat butter until fluffy, add sugar and beat again until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add nuts, flour and salt. Beat on low until combined.
Bring dough together with your fingers. Break off small pieces and form into a crescent shape. Place on un-greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes . While cookies are still warm roll in icing/powdered sugar or let cool and dust with icing sugar.
How to keep cookies from spreading
To keep the cookies from spreading it is best to beat the butter and sugar just until combined and not creamed (of course this also depends on the type of cookie), for some cookies including some icing sugar in the mixture also keeps the cookies from spreading.
And probably most important of all, is to use a higher protein flour with at least 11.5- 12% protein count.
And don’t forget to chill the dough for at least 1 hour and again the cut out cookies before baking while the oven is pre-heating. Using most of these will help produce the perfect Christmas Cookies.
Tips for making the best Crescent Cookies
- Remember do not ground the nuts to a powder, they should be chopped into very small bits. Place the nuts in a plastic bag and smash them with a rolling pin, this works well.
- Please note the amount of flour – 2 1/2 cups worked for me but it seems to be too much for most. So please start with 2 – 2 1/4 cups and if the dough seems too wet add a tablespoon (up to 4-8) at a time if needed. If you do find the dough dry work some soft butter into the dough to soften it up.
- If you prefer you can make these cookies into Pecan crescent cookies, substitute almonds with pecans or even hazelnuts or walnuts.
How to store the cookies
The cookies should be stored in an airtight container, they will keep for up to 3-4 days at room temperature or for up to 7-10 days in the fridge.
How to freeze Almond Crescent Cookies
To freeze the baked cookies, place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze the cookies until completely firm approximately 1-2 hours.
Once the cookies are frozen, then place them in a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. They can be thawed on the counter.
You can also freeze the cookie dough, form the dough into a log or round ball, wrap well in plastic, place in a freezer safe bag. The dough will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
If you wish you can form the crescents, place on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm then move them to a freezer safe container, in a single layer separated with parchment paper. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer, and they can be baked from frozen. They may take a minute or 2 longer to bake.
If you can keep from eating them all, you can also freeze them until Christmas. They make a delicious Cookie gift idea. And if you can’t wait for Christmas that’s ok too!
If you have never tried Almond Viennese Cookies then I am telling you these are a must try. Happy Baking. Enjoy!
More Christmas Cookies
- Split Second Cookies
- Easy Chocolate Chip Whipped Shortbread
- White Chocolate Almond Bars
- Easy Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Almond Crescent Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter* softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh almonds, walnuts or pecans
- 2 -2 1/2 cups all purpose flour ** (if you are in Italy substitute all purpose with Manitoba Flour)
*I use salted butter, if you use unsalted then add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Be sure to use a good quality butter, apparently this year 2022, store brand butter quality is not what it used to be. Less fat could mean a dry not so tasty cookie.
**If you are in Italy then substitute 00 with Manitoba Flour. Flour should have at least 11.5% protein.
EXTRAS
- ¼-⅓ cup powdered/icing sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl beat the butter until fluffy approximately 2 minutes, add the sugar and beat again for 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the nuts, salt and the flour, start with 2 cups and add a tablespoon at a time if needed up to 8 tablespoons. Beat on low until combined.
- Bring the dough together with your fingers. Dough should not be dry or wet, but should hold together firmly when formed. Break off small pieces and form into a crescent shape. Place on the prepared baking sheets and bake for approximately 13-15 minutes . While the cookies are still warm roll in icing/powdered sugar or let cool and dust with icing sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Updated November 16, 2016.
Hi. The dough is so crumbly and won’t come together well and when I try to form a crescent it just falls apart. Any remedies for this?
My dough is very crumbly also. How were you able to form crescents? Every time I get a bit of dough together, it just falls apart as soon as I try to roll it in my palms to form a crescent. Help! I’m on the verge of throwing it all away.
Hi Lisa, I am sorry for this but all I can think is you ground the nuts too finely (they should be chopped very small). Let me know.
Hi Lisa, try adding a little more butter and see if that helps.
I have a similar recipe that says to add a few drops of water to help bind the dough and it works well or extra butter should work too.
I am looking forward to making this recipe and will add almond extract just because I love the flavour.
I also think orange extract with fresh orange zest would be a nice addition.
My son in law is Italian and his mother makes these delicious cookies every Christmas.
Thanks Colleen, hope you enjoy them. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Are the cookies just rolled in powdered sugar when they are still warm? I am confused by the icing/sugar?
Hi Joc, yes the cookies are rolled in the icing sugar when they are still warm (not hot). Hope that helps.
Can I make them with chocolate chips instead of nuts ?? Thank you
Hi Julie, you probably could but use mini chips and cut down to 1/2 cup. Let me know how it turns out.
I was afraid I did something wrong because the dough was so crumbly looking but they came together beautifully. I cant stop eating these! Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Valerie, thanks so glad you like them and yes they are addicting. Have a great day.
are the cookie sheets greased or not?Also do the cool on cookie sheets,or do you remove immediately?
Hi Geri, I used a non stick cookie sheet, with all the butter in the cookies I really don’t think it needs to be greased. My Mom didn’t write that on the recipe so I assumed un greased.
Try using parchment paper
Can you make them with either almonds, walnuts, or pecans or do you use all three in the recipe? I am new to baking so I want to make sure I understand the ingredient correctly! Thanks!
Hi Mary Catherine, sorry it was a little confusing I corrected it, you can use either almonds, walnuts or pecans. Let me know if you have any more questions and have fun. Let me know how you like them. 🙂
Hi Rosemary, I added 1 tsp. Vanilla and 1tsp. Almond extract to inhance the flavor of the ground almonds. Results are wonderful!
Hi Cynthia, sounds like a good idea, glad you liked them. Have a great week.
When I was a kid there was a lady in my church that made these for every single event. They were my absolute favorite and she would often make me my very own batch to take home. She has since passed on so I’m very happy to find this recipe. I’ll probably call them Alma’s Cookies in her honor! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Lisa, so glad to hear that Lisa, I remember those days, I had the best fudge I have ever tasted in my life that a lady made at a church bazaar and I have yet to taste a fudge like it. Have a great Sunday.
I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar.. I refrigerate the dough I use soft butter and my crescents flatten. They taste good though. I Add a little more flour for a stiff dough but they just
Flatten when baking. Help
Hi Laura, you need high protein flour, one that is at least 12% and be sure to use ground almonds not almond flour, and maybe try with regular sugar and not powdered. Hope that helps, let me know.
Hi Rosemary,
I’m wondering what the shelf life of these cookies is if not freezing and giving as gifts. Thanks!
Hi Maya, the shelf life of these cookies and all soft homemade cookies are 2-3 days. What I do is freeze them and then defrost them when I am gifting them and they always get eaten in less than a day (so what I am told) 🙂 Hope that helps.
Yes, thank you!
Your welcome, have a wonderful Sunday!
When you say 3/4 c sugar in the recipe are you meaning regular sugar or icing sugar?
Hi Jill, I used regular sugar, the warm cookies are rolled in icing sugar. Hope that helps.
Hi
I recently had a crescent shaped Italian cookie and these seem to be the nearest thing to them and easy for me to make. I am sure they were made with icing sugar and cornflour instead of normal sugar and flour. Wonder about mixing half and half to try?
Hi Peter, well you could try making it half and half and see how it comes out. I have never had one made like that, but I would love to know how they turn out. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Do you have a recipe for the icing?
Hi Donna, there is no icing, you just dip the warm cookies in icing/powdered sugar. Hope that helps, let me know.
Gonna try this for this christmas. Can I use almond flour instead of regular APF?
Hi Srividhya well you could try it, maybe do half the recipe to see how they are. Let me know how it works out.
These were my favorite cookies growing up. My mom made them every Christmas, but I never got the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lynda, I love these too, and your welcome.
Does it matter if you use salted or unsalted butter? These look delicious, can’t wait to try them!!
Hi Donna, I always use salted since it is very difficult to find unsalted in Italy. If you use unsalted you might want to increase the salt by a bit, maybe add a pinch extra. Hope that helps.
I always use unsalted..add a pinch to the flour
Hi Kristy I think my Mom did too, but no unsalted butter in Italy. So I have to use salted.
I just had the pleasure of eating some of these and they are delicious and delicate. When you freeze these do you have to bake them first and coating them would you do that after they are thawed? Thank You for sharing your recipe. The Italian lady that made these used almonds but said her favorite are made with crushed hazelnuts. I love almonds myself. Use the crushed almond flour in some of my cookies for son who must have Gluten free recipes. Almond flour I use is just crushed almonds ground very fine. Don’t know if it would work for all recipes but I made brownies and although they don’t rise much the taste was richer. Happy Baking.
Hi Bea, thanks so much, I coat them first and then freeze (because they should be coated when still warm). If you use almond flour let me know how it works out. Have a wonderful week.
These remind me of snowballs! Looks like Christmas and the holiday season to me!
Thanks Beth, and yes the best time of the year!
Hi, can you tell me if the butter need to be cold or at room temp.? Thanks
Hi Cesia, I always use room temperature butter because it is easier to whip. Let me know how you like them.