Walnut Crescents Recipes

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lower rack until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool completely. Pulse the nuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add the flour and pulse to combine; set aside.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, the vanilla, cardamom and salt; beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the walnut-flour mixture until just incorporated. Cover the dough and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place the remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl; set aside. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into thin crescents and arrange 1 inch apart on 2 unlined baking sheets.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are golden on the bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then carefully transfer to the bowl of confectioners? sugar and gently roll to coat. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, then reroll in the confectioners? sugar.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all dough ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the dough resembles coarse meal. Then process continuously until it begins to gather together.
• Roll 2 teaspoons dough at a time into half moon shapes. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake until firm to touch, about 18 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the vanilla sugar ingredients in a food processor until the vanilla bean is pulverized.
• When cookies are done, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack. Sift the vanilla sugar over them immediately. Continue cooling for 15 minutes. The cookies may be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Steps:

• Sift dry ingredients.
• Blend in Crisco or butter/Crisco mixture.
• Dissolve yeast in a little lukewarm water, add to flour mixture.
• lightly beat eggs.
• Add eggs and sour cream.
• Blend well and refrigerate over night. Dough will be moist and airy.
• Filling-Blend all ingredients together.
• To form---Take small (softball size is what I used) pieces of dough and roll out in powdered sugar (using as much sugar as needed about 1/2-1 pound) into a circle.
• Cut into 8 pie slices.
• Put filling on thick side and roll from large end to point.
• You can top the filling with some mini cips if desired.
• Place on a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper and top with cinnamon and sugar mixture adding crushed nuts if desired.
• Bake at 375 Degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cream sugar and butter. Add flour, vanilla and nut meats. Roll a small piece between your hands and form into small crescents. (2 1/2 inches) Bake 20 to 25 minutes. When cool, roll in powdered sugar. These are better the second day.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk, sour cream and vanilla; add to crumb mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight., Divide dough into thirds. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 10-in. circle. Combine the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle 1/4 cup over each circle. Cut each circle into 12 wedges., Roll up each wedge from the wide end and place point side down 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents. Whisk egg white until foamy; brush over crescents. Sprinkle with remaining nut mixture., Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Pulse butter, cream cheese, sugar, salt, and flour in a food processor just until a dough forms. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough and form into 2 balls, then flatten each ball into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, each wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Make filling:
• Pulse walnuts, prunes, sugar, cinnamon, and Sherry in food processor until nuts are finely chopped and filling forms a thick paste.
• Form and bake crescents:
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough (keep the other chilled) into a roughly 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out rounds with floured cookie cutter. Chill scraps.
• Put 1/2 teaspoon of filling in center of 1 dough round. Brush some of egg wash halfway around pastry, near edge, then fold dough over filling, forming a half-moon shape. Pinch edges to seal. Make more crescents in same manner, rerolling scraps (but only once).
• Arrange crescents 1/2 inch apart on 2 buttered large baking sheets and lightly brush tops with egg wash. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven until tops are pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.

Steps:

• Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl to blend well. Add dry ingredients; beat just until dough forms clumps. Stir in nuts. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out, if necessary.
• Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Dip 3-inch-long crescent-shaped cookie cutter in flour to coat; cut out cookies. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Gather dough scraps and reroll. Cut out additional cookies. Refrigerate cookies on sheets 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F. Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time until pale golden and firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.
• Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water. Cool chocolate 10 minutes. Place racks with cookies over rimmed baking sheets. Dip spoon into melted chocolate; wave back and forth over cookies to decorate with zigzag pattern. Chill cookies until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add cocoa, vanilla and salt; mix well. Gradually add flour, beating until well blended after each addition. Stir in 1 cup finely chopped walnuts. Cover. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into crescent shapes, tapering ends. Place, 2 inches apart, on lightly greased baking sheets.
• Bake 15 to 18 min. or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks; cool completely. Drizzle evenly with the Powdered Sugar Glaze; sprinkle with the 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Let stand until glaze is firm.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, walnuts and cocoa; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Using a floured plain or finely scalloped 2-in. round cookie cutter, cut a semicircle off 1 corner of the dough, forming the inside of a crescent shape. Reposition cutter 1-1/4 in. from inside of crescent; cut cookie, forming a crescent 1-1/4 in. wide at its widest point. Repeat. Chill and reroll scraps if desired., Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , Sprinkle cookies with confectioners' sugar. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• In a bowl, cut the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture is crumbly.
• In a separate bowl, mix the yeast into sour cream, then add egg yolks and salt.
• Combine with the flour mixture.
• Mix until smooth and the sides of the bowl are clean.
• Form into a large ball and chill, covered, overnight.
• To make filling, mix walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and stiffly beaten egg whites together in a bowl.
• To make egg wash mix egg yolk and few drops of water in a small bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Sprinkle granulated sugar onto a pastry board.
• Divide the dough into six portions.
• Work with one portion at a time, refrigerating the dough you are not using.
• Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick and sprinkle with more sugar.
• Cut into 2 x 2-inch squares.
• Place a bit of the nut filling along one end of the square and roll up.
• Form into a crescent.
• Place seam side down on a greased cookie sheet.
• Paint with egg wash.
• Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.