Classic Crescent Cookies

These crescent cookies go by many names: Mexican wedding cookies, Russian tea cakes, kourabiedes, kipferl. Every culture seems to have its version, and they all share the same DNA: a buttery, nut-flecked shortbread shaped into a half moon and tumbled hot in powdered sugar so the coating melts into a sweet sandy crust.

The overnight chill is the make-or-break step. The dough is so high in butter and so low in flour that it’s almost ungeable at room temperature. A full night in the fridge firms it enough to roll into uniform crescents that hold their shape during baking.

Ground nuts are what give these their distinctive sandy, crumbly texture. Walnuts and pecans are most traditional, but blanched almonds or hazelnuts work just as well. Grind them fine but stop short of nut butter; you want texture, not paste.

Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while they’re still warm, not hot and not cool. Hot cookies absorb too much sugar into a sticky paste; cool cookies don’t grip the sugar and it falls right off. The window is about 2 minutes after they leave the oven.

Pro Tips

• Toast the nuts before grinding for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
• Form crescents on the smaller side. Big crescents look beautiful but break easily during the powdered sugar roll.
• Roll in powdered sugar twice: once when warm, once when fully cool. The second coat builds that signature snowy finish.
• Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight tin. They keep for two weeks at room temperature.

Variations

• Use pecans for a Mexican wedding cookie, walnuts for a Russian tea cake, or hazelnuts for a Hungarian-style version.
• Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the powdered sugar for a warmer holiday spice.
• Stir 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest into the dough for a brighter, less rich version.