Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
rider_gw

LOOKING for: Crescent cookies

rider
20 years ago

I have long been searching for the equivalent of what a girlhood friend's mother used to make. I believe she was Portugese but not certain. Anyway, the cookies were to die for... definitely lots of butter, they were light but rich at the same time, with plenty of powdered sugar half melted half still dusty if you know what I mean. Somewhat like mexican wedding cookies in consistency but not exactly the same.

The only one's I've found have either come out too hard or crisp or just don't taste the same somehow.

I'd love some possibilities if anyone has any to offer!

Comments (8)

  • ann_t
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Rider this is another recipe that I have been making for a million years. I always make this one to go on my Christmas Cookie Platter.

    Ann

    Home Cookin 4.9 Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

    Chocolate Chip Cresents
    =======================

    3/4 cup butter
    1/2 cup icing sugar
    3/4 teaspoon rum
    1 3/4 cup pastry Flour
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup pecans chopped
    1 cup chocolate chips
    1 teaspoon cold water
    . Cream butter and sugar, add rum. Add flour, salt, mix and then add chopped
    pecans and chocolate chips. Add water if needed.

    Shape into small cresents and bake at 325F 20 to 25 minutes. Cookies
    should stay light in colour.

    Roll in icing sugar if desired.

  • rider
    Original Author
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Ann... how about without the chocolate chips? I assume they are tender and like a butter cookie?

  • ann_t
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    They would still be good without the chocolate chips. Tender but with a similar flavour to shortbreads.

    Ann

  • browntoestoo
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How about a Greek cookie? Here are some recipes. You can search for others. There are other variations. Families will have a recipe they pass down from generation to generation.


    KOURABIEDES:
    http://www.greekorthodoxclt.org/greek_recipes.htm

    1 lb. sweet butter
    1/2 cup powdered sugar
    1 egg yolk
    1 jigger whiskey
    1 tsp. vanilla
    1/2 tsp. almond extract
    6 tbl. sp. toasted almonds, chopped fine
    4 cups sifted flour
    3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

    Beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 15 minutes. Add egg yolk, flavorings and almonds, beating until well blended. Remove from beater and gradually add sifted flour to make a soft dough.

    Pinch off pieces of dough and shape carefully into various designs - crescent, round, etc.. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake in over at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly before removing from baking sheet. Carefully place on flat surface, which was been sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. Sprinkle confectioner's sugar over cookies. Cool. Makes 5 dozen.


    Kourabiedes (Greek Almond Butter Cookies)
    http://www.odysseykitchens.com/recipe/kourabi.htm

    (This recipe is for one batch. . .but can be increasedIve done as much as a 5X batch! My normal batch is a 3X.)

    Ingredients:
    1 C butter
    ¼ C sugar, granulated
    2 C flour
    1 C ground almonds
    ½ tsp ground cloves (or more, to taste)
    1 tsp vanilla (I use real vanilla extract)
    1-1/2 tsp Metaxa Greek Brandy
    Rose Water
    Confectioners sugar

    Cream butter, then add other ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Shape with fingers into small balls (the traditional recipe calls for shaping into crescent shape, and inserting a whole clove into the middle of each crescent, instead of using ground clove in the mixture). Arrange on buttered cookie sheet. Bake 35 minutes in slow oven (300 degrees F). Immediately upon removing from oven, mist cookies with Rose Water and roll in confectioners sugar, then cool on a dry rack. When cool, roll again in confectioners' sugar coating liberally. May be stored in an airtight container up to three months or more.

    Christopher Williams
    is Bella Online's Greek Food Host

    Kourabiedes or Kourambiethes Celebration Cookies

    Kourabiedes are one of the most popular Greek desserts. In Greece they appear at weddings, birthdays, name days, christenings and every holiday.

    During the Turkish occupation of Greece, these cookies were made crescent shaped, but once Greece regained its independence the cookies became round. Whichever shape you make them, though, Kourabiedes are delicious.

    2 cups unsalted butter
    3/4 cup powdered sugar
    1 egg yolk
    1/4 cup of brandy or 1/4 cup orange juice
    approx 4 1/2 cups flour
    cloves
    powdered sugar for dusting (at least 1 cup)

    Allow butter to soften at room temperature then beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar then the egg yolk and brandy (or orange juice). Add flour in 1 cup amounts mixing until it forms a soft dough.

    Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    Now make in to either 1 1/2 balls or shape the balls in to crescents depending on your preference, then push a clove in to the center of each cookie. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes (the cookies should not brown but will be firm when done). Place the cookies on a rack and cool slightly then sift a lot of powdered sugar over them.

    Makes about 36 cookies.

    My Greek friend used to share these with me. To die for!

  • rider
    Original Author
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    browntoes those look similar, thanx a bunch ;)

  • roselin32
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Rider, my husband's aunt used to make these for us-very similar to the Wedding Cookies but the granulated sugar makes a big difference and I prefer them to the ones that call for powdered sugar in the cookies.
    1c butter
    1/2c granulated sugar
    2c flour
    3 tsp vanilla
    1c finely chopped pecans.
    Mix all ingredients well. Chill. Roll in tsp size crescents.
    Bake at 325° for 15 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar while warm and then again when cool.

  • ginger_st_thomas
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, that's simple enough. Thanks! I'm going to try those, Roselin.

  • roselin32
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You're welcome, Ginger-let us know what you think.
    RL`

Sponsored
Pioneers Kitchen and Bath LLC.
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars9 Reviews
Loudoun County's Professional Kitchen & Bath Remodelers