Written by Kristyna Simkova
It wouldn’t be a real Czech Christmas without the many varieties of Christmas cookies. Every family has different kinds of cookies the vanilla crescents are almost everywhere. These easy-to-make Christmas cookies are one of the most popular ones among Czechs, and also one of the best. These cookies are crunchy, but also soft, and they will melt in your mouth. It is a taste of Czech Christmas magic!
For about 40 cookies you will need
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbs powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts option use almonds or walnuts
1/2 cup unsalted butter soft
1 egg yolk
lemon peel
Dust the baked cookies: mix 1 a packet of vanilla sugar + 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a bowl. If you don’t have vanilla sugar, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract into the dough.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled.
Preheat the oven at 350F
Cut the soft butter into small pieces. Finely grind or chop the hazelnuts.
Mix the butter, egg yolk, sugar, and hazelnuts. Add a bit of grated lemon peel and then gradually mix in the flour. Knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth and shape
it into a ball or roll. Wrap the dough into plastic wrap or wax paper and let it rest in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
Take part of the dough roll it with your hands into a long snake about as thick as a pencil. Cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch long pieces and shape into a crescent. Use your fingers to make
it thinner at the ends and then bend it. Repeat this with every piece until all dough is used. Try to make all the crescents approximately the same size.
Arrange the crescents so they are at least 1/2 an inch apart baking paper on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until the crescents are slightly golden around the edges. Coat the crescents in the sugar mixture while they are still hot. Allow the cookies to cool. And as the Czechs would say: “Dobrou chut!”
Vanilla crescents can be stored for some time, in a sealed container in a cool place.
