Greek Crescent Cookies Recipes

GREEK CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour once, add salt and sift again.
• Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add 6 tablespoons powdered sugar and vanilla; mix well. Add flour gradually, stirring until blended. Add nuts; mix well.
• Shape dough into rolls about 2 1/2 inches long and form into a crescent. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 350° 10-15 minutes until delicately browned.
• Remove from baking sheet onto rack and dust at once with powdered sugar.

GREEK CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl combine the first four ingredients. Mix using an electric mixer for about 1 minute, blending well.
• Gradually add the flour at low speed until just combined, stir in the nuts.
• Cut pieces of the dough and roll into a crescent shape. Place about 1-2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 F for 8 - 10 minutes, until firm to the touch but not brown. Do not overbake.
• While warm, roll the cookies in powdered sugar. Wait until they are completeley cool then roll again in powdered sugar.

KOURABIEDES (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually stir into butter mixture until blended (mixture will be crumbly). , Shape heaping tablespoons of dough into crescents. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool 15 minutes., Place remaining sugar in a small bowl. Toss slightly cooled cookies in sugar; return cookies to wire rack to cool completely. , Toss cookies in sugar once more before serving. Store in an airtight container, adding any remaining confectioners' sugar to cover cookies.

ALMOND CRESCENTS (KOURABIEDES)

Steps:

• Spread ground almonds in a shallow pan and toast in a 350F degrees oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
• In a bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add the 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar and egg yolk, mixing well. Stir in brandy or vanilla and almonds.
• In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, blending until smooth.
• Pinch off walnut-size pieces of dough and shape into crescents. Place on ungreased baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart.
• Bake in a 325F degree oven for 30 minutes or until very lightly browned. Place baking sheets on racks and let cookies cool for 5 minutes.
• Sift about half the 1-1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar over wax paper and transfer cookies to it. Sift the remaining 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar over top to cover cookies. Let stand until cool, then store in a tightly covered container.

GREEK BUTTER COOKIES (KOURABIEDES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour, almonds, confectioners' sugar, and salt into a medium bowl.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and honey on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. (It may not come together fully until you add flour mixture.) Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with mastiha.
• Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough; roll into a ball. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until brown around edges, about 20 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely. Roll cookies in confectioners' sugar until thoroughly coated. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Beat butter and confectioners' sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt; mix briefly to incorporate. Gradually stir 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour into the creamed butter, add almonds, and mix until dough is just combined.
• Shape dough into tiny crescents; place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake cookies in preheated oven until edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Roll cookies in sifted confectioners' sugar when cooled.

VANILLA CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in walnuts., Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into crescent shapes. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned., Place sugar in a food processor. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds into food processor. Discard vanilla bean. Pulse mixture until combined. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in remaining confectioners' sugar. Coat warm cookies with sugar mixture. Cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.