One evening, we went to Bistro de l’Arte with some friends. With every coffee or tea, they brought us a little walnut crescent cookie. As soon as I saw it, I remembered the crescent cookies my grandma used to make when we were little. Of course, I stole the one next to *le husband’s coffee for another taste of childhood. But one wasn’t enough, so I decided to bake some myself. 😀
I looked up recipes: some seemed too complicated, others too simple, so I created a version that’s just right to enjoy with coffee or tea. It made 18 tender crescent cookies with walnuts and vanilla, dusted with powdered sugar.
Why You’ll Want to Try This Recipe
These are small cookies that are easy to shape by hand and made with simple ingredients. The dough doesn’t require any special techniques; once chilled, it can be rolled into little logs and curved into crescents.
The ground walnuts give them the familiar flavor of a homemade dessert, while the vanilla complements the flavor without overpowering it. A dusting of powdered sugar makes them look just right on a cookie platter.
Helpful Tips
The dough needs to be firm enough to shape. The amount of flour is approximate, so add it gradually and stop when you have a firm dough that isn’t excessively sticky. If it’s too soft, add a little more flour.
Chilling the dough in the refrigerator helps it firm up before shaping. If you’re in a hurry, put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes instead of chilling it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
For evenly sized cookies, break off walnut-sized pieces of dough, roll them into little logs, and curve them as you place them on the baking sheet. They don’t have to be identical; similar sizes are enough to help them bake at the same rate.
Keep an eye on their color toward the end of baking. The recipe calls for about 20 minutes at 180°C (350°F), until the cookies turn golden. Ovens can bake differently, so check them visually during the last few minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before dusting them with powdered sugar.
More Cookie and Dessert Recipes to Try
If you’re in the mood for something sweet with coffee or tea, here are a few more recipes from the blog worth adding to your list. Some keep the nutty combination, while others go in a more chocolatey direction.
Oat and Walnut Cookies, with No Refined Sugar — a rustic option with oats and walnuts for when you want a less sweet cookie.
Brown Butter, Macadamia Nut and White Chocolate Cookies — dense cookies with browned edges and pieces of macadamia and white chocolate.
Brownie Cookies with Chocolate, Nuts and Caramel — a richer option with a soft center, walnuts, and caramel.
Walnut and Vanilla Crescent Cookies
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minutesTender walnut and vanilla crescent cookies dusted with powdered sugar, perfect with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
1/2 package cold butter (100 g)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
4 tablespoons ground walnuts
7–8 tablespoons flour, with a little extra if the dough is too soft
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of salt
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Add the cold butter, sugar, egg, ground walnuts, flour, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt to a bowl. Mix until a firm dough forms. If the dough is soft, add a little more flour.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. For a quicker chill, place the dough in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Alternatively, dust the baking sheet with flour.
- Break off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll them into little logs. Shape them into crescents directly on the baking sheet.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden.
- Let them cool for a few minutes, then dust with powdered sugar.
