A classic holiday season and Christmas cookie, these Crescent Cookies made with ground almonds and hazelnuts and rolled in confectioners’ sugar just melt in your mouth.
Crescents or moon cookies are a holiday and Christmas classic for many and are one of my family’s favorite cookies.
This recipe is definitely one for special occasions. These crescent cookies are nutty, rich and buttery. They're delicious on their own and even better served with a good cup of tea or coffee!
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How to Make Crescent (Moon) Cookies
This particular crescent cookie recipe combines freshly toasted almonds and hazelnuts. But you can use different nuts or nut combination that you like.
For instance, you can use this recipe to make walnut crescent cookies which are also delicious and very popular. When substituting one or both nuts, just remember to use the total amount of nuts indicated in the recipe card below.
These cookies are made with simple ingredients and though making them can be a bit time consuming, this recipe is easy.
Here's an overview of the ingredients and steps needed to make these cookies. Please see the recipe card for ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Ingredients Overview
- Whole raw hazelnuts: Toasted and skins removed.
- Whole raw almonds: Toasted
- Granulated sugar: To sweeten cookies.
- Salt
- Unsalted butter: Cut into large chunks and slightly softened
- Pure vanilla extract: Added to flavor cookies.
- Almond extract: Helps bring out the flavor of the almonds and hazelnuts.
- All-purpose flour
- Confectioner sugar, also known as icing or powdered sugar: Used for rolling cookies in after having baked them.
Steps Overview
- If using raw nuts, toast them in the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Hazelnuts will need to be skinned.
- Add the granulated sugar into the food processor and process until it becomes powdery.
- Then add the nuts to the sugar in the food processor and process the nuts by using the pulse function. This ensures the nuts don't become overly ground.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine the butter, extracts and ground nuts and sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed until well blended.
- On low speed, add in the flour in two additions and beat until dough forms.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop even portions of cookie dough. Shape dough into a crescent shape (half-moon) or if you prefer you can also roll the dough into balls (like Mexican wedding cookies). Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about an inch apart. Refrigerate cookies for one hour before baking.
- Heat oven and bake cookies one sheet at a time for approximately 18 to 20 minutes, or until cookies are a light golden brown on the bottom and just slightly colored on top.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, let cool on the baking tray for approximately 5 minutes and then roll baked cookies in confectioners' (icing) sugar.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these ground nut cookies as a sweet treat with a hot cup of coffee or tea. If serving the cookies after having frozen and thawed them you might want to dust them with a little bit of confectioners' sugar to get them looking like they were freshly baked and pretty again.
Storage Instructions
These hazelnut and almond crescents can be stored in an airtight container on the countertop for several days.
Leftover or extra cookies can be frozen for up to three months. Just store them in an airtight container with wax paper in between the layers of cookies.
Thaw cookies in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to serve, sift cookies with additional powdered sugar.
If you enjoy nut cookies, make sure to check out this recipe for Powdered Sugar Almond Cookies. They are made using only almonds and look like snowball cookies!
Enjoy!
More Amazing Cookies for the Holidays
- Rolled Baklava
- Espresso Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Amaretti Cookies
- Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti
- Matcha Sugar Cookies
Crescent Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.25 cups whole hazelnuts toasted and skins removed
- 1.5 cups whole almonds toasted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1.5 cups unsalted butter cut in large chunks and slightly softened
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups confectioner sugar icing sugar
Instructions
- To toast nuts, preheat oven to 325°F. Spread each variety of nut on a separate cookie sheet and in a single layer. Make sure to stir the nuts every few minutes. Nuts are done when they’re lightly browned, it should take between 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a food processor, process the sugar and salt until it looks powdery and fine, about 45 seconds.
- Add the almonds and process until they’re finely chopped, about 20 seconds.
- Add the hazelnuts to the almonds and process until they are medium-fine chopped.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer add the butter and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the ground nuts and beat until well combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
- On low speed, add the flour in two additions and beat until incorporated and a soft dough forms.
- To shape dough into crescents, use a cookie scoop to measure equal amounts of dough for cookies (I use a number 50 scoop). Shape each ball into a crescent and arrange cookies 1 inch apart onto baking sheets lined with non-stick mats or parchment paper. Refrigerate cookies on cookie trays for one hour before baking.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.
- Bake crescents, one sheet at a time, for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheet from front to back halfway through baking. Cookies are baked when bottoms are golden and tops are slightly colored and firm to the touch.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes and then roll each one into the sifted icing sugar.
- Transfer crescent cookies to a rack and let cool completely.
Notes
- Using a cookie scoop to measure out dough helps ensure even sized crescents.
- Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place them in an airtight container with wax paper between layers. Thaw cookies in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to serve, sift additional powdered sugar over cookies.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on December 21, 2013. It has been updated with step-by-step images.
Barbara says
Are these similar to Russian Tea Cakes/ Mexican Wedding Cakes?
Fida | Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Hello Barbara, yes they are. You don't have to shape them into crescents, if you prefer you can simply shape the cookies by rolling the dough in between your hands and placing them on the baking tray. Follow instructions in the recipe card for baking temperature and time.
Thanks!