Holiday Crescents Recipes

VIENNESE CRESCENT HOLIDAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, butter, nuts, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, salt, and vanilla. Hand mix until thoroughly blended. Shape dough into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, place sugar in a bowl or small container. With sharp chef's knife, split vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape out seeds, and mix them into the sugar. Cut pod into 2 inch pieces and mix into sugar.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and form into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball into a small roll, 3 inches long. Place rolls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet, and bend each one to make a crescent shape.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set but not brown.
• Let stand 1 minute, then remove from cookie sheets. Place hot cookies on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with prepared sugar mixture. Turn gently to coat on both sides. Cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Just before serving, coat with more vanilla flavored sugar.

CRESCENTS

Steps:

• If using butter it must be cold. Mix butter with flour until it resembles fine crumbs. Add white sugar, nuts, and salt. Mix well, adding ice water till you make stiff dough.
• Add vanilla extract and knead lightly. Roll out on floured board 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut into crescent shapes using a whiskey glass coated with flour.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) until bottoms are lightly browned. While hot, roll in confectioner's sugar, (I usually use a brown bag or baggie bag to roll the cookies in with the powdered sugar).

CRESCENTS

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.

HOLIDAY ITALIAN HERB CRESCENT CHRISTMAS TREES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Unroll cans of dough and separate into 4 long rectangles; firmly press perforations together.
• Sprinkle each rectangle with 1 tablespoon cheese and 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
• Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle, forming 4 rolls (like a jelly roll).
• With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices (now they look like pinwheels).
• To form 1 tree, on cookie sheet, (I line mine with parchment paper it's easier to move trees to cool and to final decorating plate), Place 1 slice, cut side down, for top of tree.
• Arrange 2 slices below, sides touching.
• Continue arranging rows of 3, 4, and 5 slices.
• Use remaining slice for trunk.
• Bake first tree 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool 5 minutes on wire rack.
• Repeat for 2nd tree on another cool cookie sheet.
• Place trees on serving platter.
• If you do not have a decorators bag and tip, spoon the dip into a zip lock bag.
• Cut 1/4 inch hole in bottom corner of bag; and pipe over tree like garland, and a dollop of dip in on each pinwheel except trunk.
• Place tomato slice on each pinwheel except top and bottom ones.
• With 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch star shaped cutter, cut 2 stars from yellow bell pepper; place one on top of each tree.
• Chop remaining bell pepper; sprinkle over trees.
• Sprinkle with parsley.
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving time.

ROSE'S CRESCENTS (HOLIDAY SHORTBREAD COOKIES)

Steps:

• Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.
• Chop the almonds in a food processor or with a hand chopper until finely chopped.
• In a large bowl (I use a KitchenAid standing mixer), combine butter, margarine, sugar and almonds. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. It may require stopping the mixer and scrapping the sides.
• Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until well mixed. You'll likely have to scrap the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure that all the ingredients are combined. The result will be a fairly sticky dough.
• Place the dough on wax paper and shape into a rectangle (4 x 6 x 1) and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325. Cut the dough into eight sections. Working with two sections at a time (keep the rest of the dough refrigerated), pinch off small balls of dough (bigger than a marble but smaller than a golf ball). On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rope about the size and length of your pinkie. Shape the ropes into crescent (half-moon) shapes.
• Place on ungreased cookied sheets and bake for 10-13 minutes until set. The edges should be golden brown.
• Cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minute. Remove promptly and roll in topping mixture.