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 is the last reaction to take place inside a cookie and what is its result? ›

The final reaction to take place inside your cookie is caramelization and it occurs at 356º F. Caramelization is what happens when sugar molecules break down under high heat, forming the sweet, nutty and slightly bitter flavor compounds that define… caramel!

What does adding water to cookie dough do? ›

The most likely benefit of adding water to your cookie dough is to help hydrate the batter. If your dough looks dry after mixing (especially when using browned butter), adding a tablespoon or two of water could be just what your dough needs to prevent a dry, crumbly cookie.

What is the most important cookie ingredient? ›

Fat is a very important ingredient in cookies – it tenderizes, crisps and browns, adds color and a wonderful flavor that is impossible to duplicate. Butter, our fat of choice, ensures good baking results and adds the most desirable taste, texture and appearance.

What is the science behind chewy cookies? ›

Chewy cookies

Sugar dissolved in baking forms a syrup as the dough heats up. Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.

Should cookie dough be wet? ›

When cookie dough is too wet, your cookies may come out too thin and crispy, too dense, or just plain bad. However, this problem is easily fixed if you know how. To fix a cookie dough that's too wet, add in some more flour one tablespoon at a time.

What happens at 92 degrees F that causes the dough to start spreading out? ›

The first physical reaction occurs at 92 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the temperature at which the butter starts to melt. The melted butter spreads the cookie out into its flatter shape. At this point, all the ingredients are still the same and there is no change in taste.

What does adding milk to cookie dough do? ›

The moisture contributed by the milk will also increase spread and hydrate more of the starches in the flour. These hydrated (gelatinized) starches support the structure of the air pocket wall, keeping the cookies from collapsing once cooled. By holding more water, they also help keep the cookies softer over time.

What does adding more brown sugar to cookies do? ›

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

What is the most eaten cookie in the world? ›

1. Chocolate chip cookies. What is the most popular type of cookie? It might just be this one.

What is the #1 cookie in the US? ›

Nearly 93% of all American households serve and enjoy cookies as treats or after meals. However, it's the chocolate chip cookie that's the most popular in the U.S. and around the world. How much do youknow about chocolate chip cookies?

What's the best selling cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

Why put corn syrup in cookies? ›

So, when you mix corn syrup into your cookie batter, all of that moisture will make and keep your baked cookies deliciously tender. The texture of cookies benefits from corn syrup as well. As you combine your ingredients to make your cookie batter, corn syrup will pull some of the surrounding air into your batter.

What is the secret to making soft cookies? ›

Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.

What can cause a cookie to be not chewy enough? ›

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 chemical reaction happens in cookies? ›

The Maillard reaction takes place.

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars, so along with the caramelizing sugar, proteins in the cookie begin to brown, producing a rich, nutty, toasted flavour. This is the same reaction that occurs in bread and seared steak.

What is the end result of the reaction? ›

The substances that go into a chemical reaction are called the reactants, and the substances produced at the end of the reaction are known as the products.

What is the chemical reaction in a cookie? ›

Caramelization – Just as the cookie is almost finished baking, two chemical reactions happen – caramelization & Maillard reaction. As sugars in the dough break down (especially around the edges & the hot bottom), they transform into a brown, fragrant caramel gold adding to the flavours of the cookie.

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