Cardamom Walnut Crescent Cookies
User Reviews
3.8
Cardamom Walnut Crescent Cookies
Description
These cookies start with walnuts finely ground with cardamom and sugar, then combined with cold butter and vanilla extract to form a rich dough. Flour and salt are added last, and the dough is brought together carefully to keep it tender. The dough is rolled into logs, chilled, then sliced and shaped into crescents.
Baking yields cookies with a crumbly texture that melts in the mouth, accented by the warm spice of cardamom and a walnut nuttiness. The final dusting of confectioners sugar adds gentle sweetness and a delicate finish.
The recipe recommends chilling the dough for at least 1.5 hours to ensure it holds the crescent shape well and can be made ahead or frozen. Vanilla can be substituted with almond extract to vary aroma.
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 cup butter unsalted, cold, cut in pieces
- 2 tsp vanilla extract you can use 1 tsp almond extract instead if you like
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
coating
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar sifted
Instructions
- Put the walnuts, cardamom, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Then process until the walnuts are finely ground.
- Add in the pieces of COLD butter and vanilla and pulse/process until the butter is fully incorporated.
- Add the flour and salt, and pulse to combine. Then process just long enough so that the dough comes together. I do a combination of pulsing and processing so everything gets thoroughly mixed, but not over mixed.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and bring it together with floured hands. Divide it into 3 pieces. Roll each piece out into a 1 1/2 inch rope. Wrap in plastic wrap and twist the ends securely. Refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours. You can leave the dough logs refrigerated for up to a few days if you want to make them ahead. You can also freeze them.
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Working with one log at a time, (keeping the others refrigerated) cut it into 1 inch pieces, and then form those into crescents with your hands. The original recipe says to freeze the cookies for 20 minutes at this point. FYI ~ I found that didn't make much of a difference so I skipped it. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes until the cookies are set but not browned. They should just be beginning to show a little golden color around the edges, but that's it.
- Remove and let the cookies cool on the pan.
- Coat the cookies in powdered sugar after they've cooled. You can also coat them when they are still slightly warm, your choice.
- Cookies will keep for a week in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 50cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 75 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 75kcal | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
3.8
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