“Almond Crescent Moons” (Wedding Cookies)

This family recipe was most often served for the Christmas holidays — as well as for all wedding and baby showers.   They always looked a lot more like a crescent roll or a croissant in shape to me — fat in the center and thinner at the ends.   In any case, they were yummy and growing up I often wished they were made all year long — especially since as children we didn’t usually get to attend the grown up’s wedding or baby showers.

“Almond Crescent Moons”  (Wedding Cookies)

This family recipe makes a pale but buttery, sort of fluffy almond shortbread cookie shaped like a moon.  Great served with hot coffee, tea, or cocoa.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 -1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup almonds or almond slivers, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar for coating

Heat oven to 400 F degrees.

Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy.

Stir in the almond extract, cream, and powdered sugar until combined.

Stir in flour, nuts and salt and knead gently by rolling in the bowl until the dough holds together to form a dough ball.  Cover and refrigerate to chill and rest the dough for about an hour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Form each ball into a crescent moon by placing in the palm of one hand and gently rolling it back and forth with the other hand to form a log,  then use two to three fingers to roll thinner at each end. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet then bend it around to create a “C” shaped curve — forming it into a crescent (or quarter) moon. Space them about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. They will be firm when done. Do not brown.

Meanwhile, put powdered sugar into a paper bag, or a zippered plastic bag,  or a Tupperware container with a lid.  Set aside.

Cool cookies for 3 to 5 minutes on a wire rack or lint free towel then place a few still warm moons at a time into the container of powdered sugar.  Seal and gently roll back and forth and/or around and around to coat.

Finish cooling on a wire rack — or if you don’t have a wire rack then place on parchment paper or waxed paper that has been laid over top of a towel.

Note:  If using a wire rack you will want to place the rack over a towel, baking sheet, paper towels, cling wrap, waxed paper, aluminum foil, —  or place some other “catcher” under the rack — to avoid having a snowy powdered sugar mess on the counter or table. 

When fully cooled,  coat in powdered sugar again.  Allow to sit in the powdered sugar for 30 to 60 seconds then remove and gently shake off any excess sugar.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.