Ingredients
Method
- Add the almonds to a food processor and pulse until very finely ground, like coarse sand (not a paste). You should have about ½ cup of ground almonds.
- In a medium bowl, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla, almond extract, and salt.
- Gradually add the flour, mixing just until combined.
- Gently fold in the ground almonds; do not overmix. If the dough feels dry or crumbly, knead lightly with your hands until it comes together.
- Shape the dough into small crescent shapes.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
- While still warm, roll the baked cookies in the remaining ½ cup of confectioners' sugar until fully coated. Let cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- To ensure your butter creams properly with the confectioners' sugar, make sure it's truly at room temperature. If it's too cold, it won't combine smoothly; if it's too warm, the dough might become greasy.
- When pulsing the almonds, stop just before they turn into a paste. You want a fine, sandy texture to get that delicate crumb in your almond crescent cookies. I learned this the hard way once, ending up with chewier cookies when I over-processed them.
- For perfectly shaped crescents, roll the dough into small logs and then gently curve the ends. If the dough starts to feel too warm and sticky, pop it into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to firm up before shaping. This also helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking. Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated automatically. Values vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes.
- When pulsing the almonds, stop just before they turn into a paste. You want a fine, sandy texture to get that delicate crumb in your almond crescent cookies. I learned this the hard way once, ending up with chewier cookies when I over-processed them.
- For perfectly shaped crescents, roll the dough into small logs and then gently curve the ends. If the dough starts to feel too warm and sticky, pop it into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to firm up before shaping. This also helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking. Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated automatically. Values vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes.