Nut Crescents | Cookie Recipes (2024)

Home > Recipes > Desserts > Cookies > Nut Crescents

by Michelle
December 9, 2009 (updated Dec 7, 2019)

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4.59 (12 ratings)

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Nut Crescents | Cookie Recipes (1)

Also known as Nut Horns. Also very, very similar to the ever-popular Snowballs a.k.a. Mexican Wedding Cookies a.k.a. Russian Tea Cookies. So many different names! These cookies are made of a buttery, shortbread style dough with ground nuts. After they are baked and cooled they are rolled in powdered sugar, giving the cookies a sugary-sweet kiss that will have all the kids running (be on the lookout for white fingerprints!). The original recipe calls for a mix of walnuts and almonds, but I decided to go with all walnuts; I love walnuts much more than almonds and I had a big bag of them thanks to a recent stock-up trip to Sam’s Club. This is a great cookie to include in Christmas tins or baskets, as they keep well at room temperature for about a week.

Nut Crescents | Cookie Recipes (2)

I am adding these cookies to the virtual cookie jar as part of the 12 Days of Sharing to help end childhood hunger. The campaign is hosted by the Share Our Strength organization, with the idea of the virtual cookie jar being run by Jennie of In Jennie’s Kitchen. Bloggers are encouraged to bake and blog about a holiday baked good for the cookie jar, while promoting the 12 Days of Sharing campaign. Clicking on the badge you see below will take you to a donation page. If you feel so inclined, you can make a donation of any amount to the campaign. Anyone who makes a donation, no matter the amount, is eligible to win some great kitchen-related prizes.

Nut Crescents | Cookie Recipes (3)

Virtual Cookie Jar: All of the wonderful recipes that have been submitted by fellow bloggers.

The Giveaways: A list of all of the prizes being given away to some lucky givers!

How to Participate (FAQ): Details on how to participate in the virtual cookie swap.

Nut Crescents | Cookie Recipes (4)

More holiday cookie favorites:
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Chocolate Chip Tea Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Empire Cookies[/donotprint]

Nut Crescents | Cookie Recipes (5)

Nut Crescents

Yield: 30 cookies

Prep Time: 40 minutes mins

Cook Time: 24 minutes mins

Chilling time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Time for some delicious cookies!

4.59 (12 ratings)

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • cups (146.25 g) walnut halves
  • cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
  • sticks (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, (¾ cup)
  • cups (180 g) confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until light golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and let cool completely. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  • 2. In a food processor, combine ½ cup flour with the toasted nuts, and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour-nut mixture and the remaining 1 cup flour and the salt; set aside.

  • 3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two batches, and beat until combined.

  • 4. Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a 3-inch log. Using your fingers, shape log into a crescent, tapering the ends slightly so that the center is the widest part. Repeat with remaining dough, placing crescents about 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Freeze or refrigerate until crescents are very firm, about 30 minutes.

  • 5. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool, 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to the rack to cool completely. Place the remaining 1 cup sugar in a shallow bowl and roll cookies in it to coat completely. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Calories: 118kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 20mg, Potassium: 29mg, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 140IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

Author: Michelle

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Originally published December 9, 2009 — (last updated December 7, 2019)

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30 Comments on “Nut Crescents”

  1. Gabrielle Reply

    I have a question. Found your recipe on Pinterest. I have walnut flour I found at Costco. If I can use that for the recipe instead of making it how much would you suggest I use? Thank you!

  2. Kansas Reply

    This recipe is always a favorite but I find the results best when cookies are dusted instead of rolled/dipped in powdered sugar.

  3. MommaJul Reply

    I am very dissappointed with making this recipe. My crescents turned out flat as a pancake after the 18 min of baking at 350 degrees. I don’t know what i did wrong. First time making this recipe. Any idea what could have went wrong?

    Discouraged in PA

  4. Kiki Reply

    I lost my original recipe for nut crescents. I used almonds. Can I just purchase chopped almonds or should it be more of a ground almond? And how much would I need if already chopped or ground? Thank you for any help.,

    • Michelle Reply

      Hi Kiki, I would recommend starting with whole almonds and proceeding with the recipe as written for the walnuts.

  5. Ryan Boselowitz Reply

    Do you think these would freeze well? How long do you think they could be frozen for? These are my dad’s FAVORITE and my grandma doesn’t make them much anymore so I would love to make them for Thanksgiving!

    • Michelle Reply

      Hi Ryan, Yes, they would freeze wonderfully! I would say about 2 months or so.

  6. User Number 10 Reply

    I’ve seen these cookies before, they are Gazelle Horns Cookies / كعب الغزال. They have a history and a meaning, from the Arab world not just butter and flour. You seemed to name drop every country (Mexico, Russia) except the countries that created these beauties.

  7. Sandra Reply

    Can u freeze these cookies?

    • Michelle Reply

      Hi Sandra, Yes, these freeze well!

  8. Penny Wolf Reply

    This was one of my Mother’s Christmas cookies. Like you, she used all walnuts. I love them so much.

  9. celeste Reply

    My exhusbands grandma used to make these and they were always my favorite.Now I’m going to try making them for the first time.

  10. Caeolin Reply

    Hi!

    I guess these cookies have a lot of different names. Here in Germany their name is “Vanille Kipferl” according to the vanilla extract and the form.

    My maternal grandmother makes them with almonds and powdered sugar but my paternal grandmother uses rosted almonds and vanilla sugar for the topping.

    I can’t decide wich ones I like the most.
    But both are an important component for my christmas time and I eat them very much!

    The best greatings from Germany!
    Carolin

    P.S.: I love this page… Thanks for it!

  11. Michelle Reply

    Hi Kris,

    If you have the patience and a sharp knife, you could certainly chop the walnuts finely by hand. You won’t get quite the same consistency but I am sure they would still be great!

  12. Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes) Reply

    Mmm these look delicious!

  13. Brittany (He Cooks She Cooks) Reply

    These are some of my favorite holiday cookies!

  14. Kris Reply

    I’ve always wanted to make these! These sound really simple… unfortunately I don’t have a food possessor. Not so much room in my tiny (and I mean TINY) kitchen!

  15. meatlessmama Reply

    Those are fabulous!They look exactly like the ones my grandmother made when I was a child, what memories.

  16. Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction Reply

    Yum! These cookies look delicious. Perfect addition to the virtual cookie jar.

  17. Jason Sandeman Reply

    My wife’s Babbi used to send these up to us in tins. They would never last until Christmas time though. Unfortunately, Babbi is much too elderly to make these anymore, but thank you for the recipe as a reminder!

  18. stephchows Reply

    Whatever way you shape them or call them, I’ll eat um! :)

  19. dokuzuncubulut Reply

    Mmmm…My kids love desserts.

  20. Miriam/The winter guest Reply

    Mmmm, these look lovely and so elegant!

  21. Courtney Reply

    They look so yummy!! So badly wish I wasn’t allergic to nuts! :(

  22. Betsy Reply

    My grandmother always made these with almonds; curious to try a walnut version! While other cookies came and went, these were always in the carefully-mailed cookie tin because they were such good keepers.

  23. Neel | Learn Food Photography Reply

    What a challenging subject for food photography. I am so tempted to eat this… I have a sweet tooth. :D

  24. Amanda Reply

    I love nut crescents, they are so good!

  25. Alissa Reply

    Those look delish. I have made a similar recipe with Almond Flavoring in them and I can’t find the recipe anymore. Sad, because I LOVED that recipe.

  26. marina mott Reply

    Wonderful!! These are stunning! I want (need!!!) some now!!!
    Pretty package!!

  27. Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets Reply

    I love Wedding Cookies so I’m sure I’d scarf these down O:-). Great cookies for a great cause!

Nut Crescents | Cookie Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the four basic dry ingredients that are mainly used when baking cookies? ›

Most cookies are made from the same basic ingredients. The dry ingredients consist of all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The sweetness comes from granulated and/or brown sugar. The fat is either softened butter, margarine, shortening, or occasionally oil.

What makes a cookie a cookie? ›

A cookie (American English) or biscuit (British English) is a baked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat, and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, or nuts.

How does the amount of flour affect cookies? ›

Flour is a stabilizer and thickener and controls how much the cookie rises. It holds the cookie together, providing it with its structure. If you use too little flour your cookie won't keep its shape but if you use too much you'll end up with a thick tasteless cookie.

How to make cookies more dense? ›

Baking Powder. The type of leavening you use in your cookies doesn't just help them rise while baking, it affects their texture and structure too. Baking soda in cookies yields a denser cookie with craggy tops, while baking powder causes cookies to rise higher during baking for a cakier texture.

What does extra sugar do to cookies? ›

What happens if you increase the amount of sugar called for in cookies? Conversely, when you increase the sugar in cookies, you'll get cookies that spread more and have an ultra moist and chewy texture in addition to a sweeter flavor.

What is the secret to chewy cookies? ›

The science is simple: According to the flour authorities over at Bob's Red Mill, cornstarch can help “soften the rigid proteins of the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert.” “The cornstarch complements the flour in absorbing the liquids, but won't develop gluten structure like the flour will,” stresses ...

What makes a cookie chewy instead of crunchy? ›

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

What is the oldest cookie in the world? ›

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

What does adding an extra egg do to cookies? ›

Yolks also act as an emulsifier, making a creamy dough even before it's baked. Egg whites, on the other hand, can have a drying effect. A cookie made with extra egg yolk (or, in this case, only egg yolk), will be lighter and chewier than a cookie made with whole eggs.

What happens if I don't add enough flour to my cookies? ›

As a bonus, I did a little research to find out just what role each ingredient plays in chocolate chip cookies, so you can adjust your recipe however you feel like experimenting. Flour adds fluff and texture to the cookies. Adding too little flour can cause cookies to be flat, greasy, and crispy.

Does sifting flour make a difference in cookies? ›

But is sifting flour necessary? That depends. Sifting flour is recommended for some desserts where the goal is light, delicate, and fluffy results (think angel food cakes, sponge cakes, and chiffon cakes). However, sifting flour isn't a must for desserts that are chewy or crisp, like cookies.

How can I make my cookies fluffier instead of flat? ›

Baking powder or flour in excess will cause cookies to rise more, making them more fluffy and cakey. Increased sugar will make them caramelize more and increased fat will make the dough heavier and richer, all increasing retention of water in the dough- these all add up to chewier cookies.

What is the best temperature to bake cookies? ›

350° is the standard temp for a cookie, and it's a great one. Your cookies will bake evenly and the outside will be done at the same time as the inside. Baking at 325° also results in an evenly baked cookie, but the slower cooking will help yield a chewier cookie.

What does cornstarch do to cookies? ›

In this recipe we're using cornstarch instead of baking powder. Cornstarch has a unique ability to add tenderness and moisture to baked goods. In this recipe, it helps create a delightful melt-in-your-mouth texture that sets these cookies apart from the rest and makes them extra chewy.

What are the 4 main ingredients in baking? ›

Flour, water, and leavening agents are the ingredients primarily responsible for the characteristic appearance, texture, and flavour of most bakery products. Eggs, milk, salt, shortening, and sugar are effective in modifying these qualities, and various minor ingredients may also be used.

What are the four 4 mixing methods used in making cookies? ›

  • creaming method. A mixing method that begins with the blending of fat and sugar; used for cakes, cookies, and similar items.
  • Sponge method. A cake- and cookie-mixing method based on whipped eggs and sugar.
  • Sanding Method. ...
  • One-sage method.

What ingredient makes cookies dry? ›

There are several reasons why the cookies may have become dry and crumbly but the two most likely are that either the cookies were baked for too long or too much flour was added to the dough. The cookie should be baked only until the edges are slightly golden and the top looks a little wrinkled.

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