Description
These Almond Crescent Cookies are delicate, buttery treats with a tender crumb and a subtle almond flavor. Ground blanched almonds add a rich texture while the double dusting of confectioners’ sugar creates a melt-in-your-mouth finish, making them perfect for holidays or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ⅔ cup (95 g) whole blanched almonds
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (42 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (104 g) all-purpose flour
For Dusting
- ½ cup (62.5 g) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Pulse almonds into coarse sand: Place the blanched almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely ground to a coarse sand-like texture, ensuring not to over-process into a paste. You should have approximately ½ cup of ground almonds.
- Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar: In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the room temperature unsalted butter and ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Then blend in vanilla extract, almond extract, and kosher salt.
- Add flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing for a tender cookie.
- Add ground almonds: Gently fold in the ground almonds with a spatula, taking care not to overwork the dough. If the dough feels dry or crumbly, knead lightly with your hands until it holds together.
- Cover and chill dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Chilling firms the dough, making it easier to shape.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Shape dough into crescents: Using about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie, shape each piece into a 2-inch crescent. Place the shaped cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. This recipe should yield around 17 cookies.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes. The cookies are done when the bottoms are lightly golden but the tops remain pale.
- Cool and roll in confectioners’ sugar: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While slightly warm, gently roll each cookie in the ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar to coat.
- Second dusting: Once cookies have completely cooled, dust them with a second layer of confectioners’ sugar before serving for a beautiful finish and extra sweetness.
Notes
- Blanching almonds removes the skins, resulting in a smoother texture and more delicate flavor. If using almonds with skins, expect a slightly coarser texture and deeper color.
- Ensure the butter is softened to room temperature to blend smoothly with sugar, creating a creamy base.
- Do not overmix once flour and almonds are added to maintain a tender crumb.
- Chilling the dough is essential for easier shaping and helps the cookies hold their crescent shape during baking.
- Use parchment paper on the baking sheet to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Handle cookies gently when rolling in sugar to avoid breaking their delicate shape.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Almond Crescent Cookies, Almond Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Butter Cookies, Crescent Cookies, Nut Cookies, Baking Recipe
