Hazelnut Crescents
These tender, nutty hazelnut crescents strike the perfect balance between elegant and cozy. The ground hazelnuts give them a rich, warm flavor that pairs beautifully with dark chocolate. They’re sophisticated enough for your holiday cookie exchange but simple enough to make with the little ones on a snowy afternoon.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
All-purpose flour
Ground hazelnuts- you can substitute the ground hazelnuts with finely ground walnuts.
Granulated sugar
Vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
Egg
Pinch of salt
Softened butter
Dark chocolate
Vegetable oil
HOW TO MAKE HAZELNUT CRESCENTS
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground hazelnuts, sugar, vanillin sugar, and salt. Add the soft butter and egg to the dry ingredients. Mix everything together until it forms a smooth dough.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Take small portions of dough (about a tablespoon each) and roll them into small logs. Gently curve each log into a crescent moon shape. Place the crescents on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between them. Alternatively, if you have a crescent mold, simply press portions of dough into the mold. This method is easy and ensures all your cookies will have that perfect crescent shape.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are just slightly golden.
- Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the crescents are cool, melt the dark chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler.
- Dip each end of the crescents in the melted chocolate or drizzle it over them. Place on parchment paper and let the chocolate set.
TIPS:
The butter should be soft enough to press with your finger and leave an indent, but not so soft that it’s greasy or melting. This ensures the dough comes together smoothly and that the cookies maintain their shape while baking, resulting in that perfect tender, crumbly texture. If the butter is too cold, you’ll have a tough time incorporating it, and if it’s too warm, the cookies will spread during baking.
Don’t skip the chilling time – it helps the cookies maintain their crescent shape while baking.
Store these beautiful crescents in a tin between layers of parchment paper, and they’ll stay fresh for up to two weeks.
Hazelnut Crescents
Ingredients
- 180g (1½ cups) Flour
- 70g (⅔ cup) Ground Hazelnuts
- 50g (¼ cup) Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 Vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 125g (½ cup + 1 tbsp.) Softened Butter
- Pinch Of Salt
- 50g (about 2 ounces) Dark Chocolate
- 1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground hazelnuts, sugar, vanillin sugar, and salt. Add the soft butter and egg to the dry ingredients. Mix everything together until it forms a smooth dough.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Take small portions of dough (about a tablespoon each) and roll them into small logs. Gently curve each log into a crescent moon shape. Place the crescents on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between them.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are just slightly golden.
- Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the crescents are cool, melt the dark chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler.
- Dip each end of the crescents in the melted chocolate or drizzle it over them.
- Place on parchment paper and let the chocolate set.