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4.9 from 39 votes

Vanilla Crescent Cookies – Czech Vanilkové rohlíčky

Czech Christmas wouldn’t be complete without vanilla crescent cookies. They are the first type of Christmas cookies that disappears from the table! In Czech, we call them vanilkové rohlíčky.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 28 mins
Servings: 46 pieces
Calories: 54 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: Czech

Ingredients

Vanilla crescent dough:
  • 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tick unsalted butter cold
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ cup walnuts shelled (or pecans)
  • 1 egg yolk
For coating:
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Grind ½ cup walnuts and put them in a bowl.
  2. Add 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, 1 stick unsalted butter cut into pieces, ½ cup powdered sugar and 1 egg yolk.
  3. Using your hands, work the ingredients into a compact dough. Be patient; it takes about five minutes for everything to come together nicely.
  4. Shape the dough into a cylinder, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for two hours to rest.
  5. After resting, unwrap the dough from the foil. Knead it briefly to soften, then divide it in half. Roll each half into a long cylinder about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Slice into equal-sized pieces.
  6. Roll each piece into a strand app. 2 inches (5 cm) long. Gently bend the strands into crescent shapes and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  7. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 °F for 8 minutes.
  8. Let the crescents cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then roll each one in ¾ cup powdered sugar.

Notes

  • I grate the nuts using a manual rotary grinder with a fine shredding blade.
  • Let the crescents cool for a few minutes after baking. Then remove cookies from the baking sheet and coat them with vanilla sugar while they are still warm.
  • Be careful when coating, the rolls are fragile!
  • To make baking easier, get a silicone mold with crescent shapes to press the dough in.
  • Czechs usually bake these crescents in the second week of Advent. These crescents are crispy right after baking but will soften in about two weeks—just as Czech Christmas cookies are meant to be!
  • Store them in a cool place, stacked in a paper box with a lid, lined with foil.

Nutrition Information

Calories 54kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 6g (2%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 10mg (3%) Sodium 1mg (0%) Potassium 11mg (0%) Fiber 0.2g (1%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 67IU (1%) Vitamin C 0.02mg (0%) Calcium 3mg (0%) Iron 0.2mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 46pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 54

% Daily Value*

Calories 54kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 6g 2%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Potassium 11mg 0%
Fiber 0.2g 1%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 67IU 1%
Vitamin C 0.02mg 0%
Calcium 3mg 0%
Iron 0.2mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.