This crescent cookies recipe is all about creating light, sweet, and shortbread-like cookies, perfect for your holiday cookie tray. They’re fast, easy, and guaranteed the first to go to any gathering!
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Looking for a classic treat for the holidays? These German crescent cookies are just what you need. With their delicate half-moon shape and melt-in-your-mouth texture, they’re sure to be a hit at any Christmas party. – any time of year!
If you’re a fan of these Christmas crescent cookies, you’ll also love my chewy M&M cookies and old-fashioned homemade butterscotch cookies. And if you’re in the mood for something a bit more adventurous, try my monster cookies for a fun twist on the classic.
This shortbread like recipe was found in my “family recipes” binder my Aunt put together. This traditional cookie recipe comes from my great-grandma. While I don’t remember her making them, my grandma did every year and brought them every year to family Christmas. I enjoyed making them in the middle of winter to be enjoyed by my entire family.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Despite their elegant appearance, these cookies are surprisingly easy to make. The recipe is straightforward and the results are always impressive.
- Traditional: These Viennese crescents are a classic holiday treat, evoking the nostalgia of old-fashioned Christmas cookies.
- Comforting: There’s something incredibly comforting about a plate of these melt-in-your-mouth crescent cookies. They’re the perfect companion to a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter’s day.
- Beautiful: These cookies are not only delicious but also beautiful. Their crescent shape and dusting of confectioners’ sugar make them a stunning addition to any holiday dessert spread.
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Key Ingredients
- Butter: This is the star of our recipe, it adds a rich and creamy flavor to our Christmas crescent cookies, making them irresistible.
- Shortening: Used along with butter to give our cookies that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture. It also helps in maintaining the crescent shape of the cookies.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough and also helps in giving the cookies a beautiful golden color.
- Water: This is the secret ingredient that helps in binding all the other ingredients together.
- Chopped Walnuts: These add a lovely crunch and a nutty flavor to our German crescent cookies, making them even more delicious.
- Vanilla: It enhances the flavor of the cookies and gives them a sweet, aromatic scent.
- All-Purpose Flour: The main ingredient that gives our cookies their structure and texture.
- Powdered Sugar: Used to dust the cookies, giving them a sweet, snowy finish. It also sweetens the cookies just a bit more.
Equipment
- Mixer – You’ll need a mixer to cream the butter, shortening, and sugar together until light and fluffy. This is crucial for the texture of your crescent cookies.
- Baking Sheet – This is where you’ll shape your dough into crescents and bake them. Make sure to line it with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Wire Rack – After baking, you’ll transfer your cookies to a cooling rack to let them cool completely before dusting them with powdered sugar. This ensures the sugar sticks to the cookies without melting.
How to Make Crescent Cookies
Preparation
Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. This will ensure your oven is at the right temperature when you’re ready to bake your crescent walnut cookies.
Step 1 – Cream the Butter and Shortening
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and granulated sugar. Mix on high for 2 minutes to achieve a light and fluffy texture. This is crucial for the melt-in-your-mouth quality of the cookies.
Step 2 – Add the Remaining Ingredients
Next, mix in the water, nuts, and flour until they are well combined. These ingredients will add flavor and texture to your crescent cookies. Once mixed, chill the dough to make it easier to shape.
Step 3 – Shape the Dough
After the dough has chilled, shape it into rolls about the size of a finger. Then, cut these rolls into 3” length crescents and bend them slightly towards the center. This is what will give your cookies their classic crescent shape.
Step 4 – Bake the Cookies
Place your crescent-shaped dough on a baking sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. This will give them the perfect golden color and a crisp texture.
Step 5 – Dust with Powdered Sugar
Once the cookies are baked, remove them from the oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for five minutes. Then, move them to a cooling rack and dust them with powdered sugar. This will add a sweet finish to your cookies.
Step 6 – Final Touches
After your cookies have cooled completely, toss them gently in powdered sugar again. This will ensure that they have a sweet, snowy appearance, perfect for the holiday season.
Expert Tip
To ensure your crescent walnut cookies have the perfect texture, don’t let them brown. Bake for just 15 minutes and then remove from the oven. This will keep them soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Recipe Variations
- Butter Substitute: Use margarine instead of butter for a slightly different flavor in your crescent cookies.
- Nuts: Experiment with other nuts like almonds or pecans to add a unique twist to your holiday cookie tray. You can also add different combinations of nuts every time you bake them!
- Nut-Free Option: If you prefer your cookies without nuts, simply remove them from the recipe. The crescent cookies will still be deliciously buttery and sweet.
What to Serve With
- For a cozy afternoon treat, pair these crescent cookies with a hot cup of coffee. The rich, buttery flavor of the cookies complements the strong flavor of coffee, making for a perfect balance.
- Hosting a holiday gathering? These crescent cookies are a must-have on your holiday cookie tray. They’re a crowd-pleaser and add a touch of festive charm with their crescent shape.
- Looking for a sweet treat to enjoy with your afternoon tea? These crescent cookies are the perfect accompaniment. Their delicate flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture make them a tea-time favorite.
Recipe FAQs
The crescent cookies are done when they are just set and the bottoms are lightly golden. Be careful not to let them brown. Bake for just 15 minutes and then remove from the oven.
Yes, you can! The recipe calls for chopped walnuts, but feel free to use your favorite nuts or whatever you have on hand. Pecans or almonds would work well too.
Absolutely! These cookies actually taste better after a day or two, once the flavors have had time to meld together. Just store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They also freeze well, so freeze after cooling before adding the powdered sugar. Let thaw, and dust with more powdered sugar before serving.
While the crescent shape is traditional for this recipe, you can certainly shape the dough into whatever shape you like. Just keep in mind that the baking time may vary.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerate: After your crescent cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep well for up to three days.
- Freeze: These cookies freeze well. After baking, allow them to cool completely. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container, with layers separated by wax paper. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen crescent cookies, simply let them thaw in the airtight container at room temperature.
Serving Size
- What to Expect: This crescent cookie recipe yields about 24 cookies.
- How to Scale: If you want to make more than 24 cookies, you can double the recipe and follow the rest of the instructions as directed. Make sure your large bowl is big enough to accommodate the increased ingredients and use two baking sheets.
Crescent Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ Cup butter
- ½ Cup shortening
- ⅓ Cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon water
- ½ Cup chopped walnuts
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325˚ F.
- Cream butter and shortening with sugar. Mix on high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Mix in water, nuts, and flour until combined. Chill the dough overnight or at least for four hours.
- Form the dough into rolls about the size of a finger. Cut into 3” length crescents.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and let sit on cookie sheet for five minutes. Move to the cooling rack and then dust with powdered sugar. Once the cookies are fully cooled, toss gently in powdered sugar.
Hi, this is the same recipe my mom used to make at Christmas. That were melt in your mouth delicious. We can’t remember if mom used CRISCO shortening or margarine. Can you let me know what you use for shortening? Thank you!
I used Crisco shortening and the recipe also calls for Margarine. I did substitute the margarine in the original recipe for butter.