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Almond Crescent Cookies

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pinterest image for crescent cookies with text overlay

Almond crescent cookies are easy to make with simple ingredients and they don’t need to chill before baking. They’re delicious any time of year but especially during the holidays paired with cocoa or spiced cider!

cookies on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet

 

My latest cookie obsession: almond crescent cookies. If you love Russian teacakes or Mexican wedding cookies then these are for you—they’re very similar.

They’re crunchy and crumbly, much like a shortbread. And rolling the cookies in powdered sugar while they’re still hot gives them a delicious melted-on sugary sweetness.

I recommend making (at least) two batches, one to give to friends and family and one to keep for yourself. Because if you’re anything like me, you’ll eat the majority of the cookies you set aside for friends and end up needing extra anyway. . .

Why you’ll love these almond crescent cookies:

  • Because this recipe calls for both chopped almonds and almond extract, every bite has beautiful almond flavor
  • The dough doesn’t need to chill before baking so you can get them in the oven that much faster
  • Both the dough and the finished cookies are freezer-friendly—keeping cookie dough in the freezer for last-minute holiday gatherings is so handy!

How to make your cookies

how to make crescent cookies step by step

  • Beat together room temperature butter and powdered sugar
  • Mix in chopped almonds, almond extract, and vanilla extract
  • Gradually beat in flour and salt (the dough will be crumbly, as in photo 3 above)
  • With your hands, squeeze the dough together into a cohesive mass

cookies on a baking sheet before and after being baked

  • Shape tablespoons of dough into crescents
  • Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned around the bottom (as you can see in photo 6 above, the cookies look pretty similar when they’re done to before they’re baked)

While the cookies are still hot you’ll roll them in powdered sugar and that’s it! They’re done!

Recipe notes and tips

how to chop nuts for almond crescent cookies

  • Don’t use almond flour or almond meal in place of the chopped almonds; the cookies won’t hold together. You want the almonds chopped small enough that you don’t have huge chunks of almond in your cookies but not as small as, say, almond flour. (See photo above for reference.)
  • Remember to measure your almonds AFTER they’re chopped. You want a full 1/2 cup of chopped almonds, not a 1/2 cup of almonds that you measure and then chop.
  • As always, be sure your butter is at room temperature so it blends properly with the other ingredients.
  • To shape the crescents, I rolled balls of dough into a thick log, then pressed the logs around my index finger and tapered the ends a little bit.
  • The dough is quite crumbly so it might crumble while you’re shaping your cookies. That’s totally normal, just squeeze the dough back together and keep shaping your cookies.
  • The cookies won’t spread very much when they bake. However, if your kitchen is really warm, the dough might spread a little more than usual. If the cookies spread more than you want, pop the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. (You can refrigerate both the unshaped dough and the cookies after they’re shaped.)
  • See below for how to freeze the cookie dough.

How to freeze the cookie dough

If you want to make a batch of cookie dough to bake off as needed, it’s really simple.

Make the almond crescent dough, shape the cookies, and place on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 30 to 60 minutes, until frozen solid.

At that point, you can place the crescents in freezer bags and freeze for about a month. (I like to write the date I made the dough in magic marker on the freezer bags.)

Bake your cookies right from the freezer, still on un-greased, unlined baking sheets. You might find you need to add a minute or two to the baking time but with these cookies I usually bake them for the same time as un-frozen dough.

How to store your cookies

Uneaten cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature, layered with wax paper, for 4 or 5 days.

They can also be frozen in containers layered with wax paper for about 2 months. If you don’t plan on freezing them for very long you can pop them in freezer bags.

(I prefer containers and wax paper layers for long-term freezing.)

Can I use almond flour in place of the almonds?

I don’t recommend it. I tried almond flour and almond meal and the cookies didn’t hold together after they were baked—both almond flour and almond meal are too finely ground.

Finely chopped almonds are the way to go here; you want them chopped small enough that you don’t have huge chunks of almond in the cookies but not as small as, say, almond flour.

For a visual reference as to how finely to chop your nuts, see the “recipe notes and tips” section above.

A few more recipes you might enjoy:
Melting Moments
Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

plate of cookies on a striped dishtowel

Did you make these almond crescent cookies? AWESOME! Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below.  And post a pic on Instagram too!  Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see!

5 from 2 votes
cookies on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet
Print
Almond Crescent Cookies
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
 

These almond crescent cookies are a delicious treat to make for the holidays or any time of year. They turn out delicious and crumbly every time!

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 36
Author: Kelsie
Ingredients
Cookies
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Coating
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon optional
Instructions
Cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine the butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the chopped almonds and the almond and vanilla extracts.
  3. Sift the flour and salt together into a small bowl. Gradually beat into the butter-sugar mixture until combined.
  4. The dough will be crumbly; use your hands to bring it together into a cohesive mass.
  5. Shape tablespoons of dough into crescents and arrange them on un-greased, unlined baking sheets 2 inches apart.
  6. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden around the bottom edges.
  7. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 1 minute; while they’re cooling, make the coating.
Coating
  1. Stir together the powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. (If you don’t want to add the cinnamon just put the powdered sugar in a bowl.)
  2. Carefully roll each crescent in the sugar to coat, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes
  • Uneaten cookies can be stored in airtight containers, layered with wax paper, for 4 or 5 days. They can also be frozen that way for about 2 months.
  • Remember to measure your almonds AFTER they’re chopped. You want a full 1/2 cup of chopped almonds, not a 1/2 cup of almonds that you measure and then chop.
  • I don’t recommend using almond flour or almond meal in place of the chopped almonds. The cookies don’t hold together that way. You want the almonds chopped small enough that you don’t have huge chunks of almond in your cookies but not as small as, say, almond flour.
  • To shape the crescents, I rolled balls of dough into a thick log, then pressed the logs around my index finger.
  • The dough is really crumbly so it might crumble while you’re shaping your cookies. That’s totally normal, just squeeze the dough back together and keep shaping your crescents.
  • The cookies don’t spread very much when they bake. However, if your kitchen is really warm, the dough might spread a little more than usual. If the cookies spread more than you want, pop the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.
  • To freeze the dough: make the dough and shape the cookies, then place on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 30 to 60 minutes, until frozen solid. Place in freezer bags and freeze for about a month. Bake your cookies right from the freezer; you might need to add a minute or two to the baking time but with these cookies I usually bake them for the same time as un-frozen dough.
  • See the body of this post for step-by-step photos.

Related

Comments

  1. Ben | Havocinthekitchen says

    October 20, 2020 at 1:46 pm

    5 stars
    I might not bake (and eat too) cookies often, but I can never resist a few (dozens) of crescent cookies. Love their nutty and melt-in-your mouth texture; they also always remind me Christmas time. Wait, are you hinting that Christmas is on the way? 🙂

    Reply
  2. Kelly @ Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats says

    October 20, 2020 at 6:38 am

    Oooh how fun!!! And these look yummy! Next time I have a bag of almonds, I’m making these.

    Reply
  3. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

    October 19, 2020 at 7:18 pm

    5 stars
    These are getting me kind of excited for the holidays, Kelsie!! I’ve seen almond crescent cookies on holiday platters before 🙂 Yours look perfect. Have a great week!!

    Reply

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photo of Kelsie Roehl     Hey there! I’m Kelsie and this is where I share my buttery, sugary, and all-around delicious recipes. I LOVE to bake and I want you to love baking too, so all of my recipes are totally do-able for the home baker.  If you need a little dessert in your life, consider this your one-stop shop for anything sweet! Need a little more info? Here you go!

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