Iain Bagwell
These snowy crescent-shaped cookies will look lovely nestled in your holiday cookie tins, and taste as good as they look. Cookies of this type (like Mexican wedding cookies or Pecan Snowballs) are chewy and still slightly crisp—and can often be dry. But these cookies are moist and tender inside with a delicious nutty flavor that is balanced perfectly with the sweetness from the powdered sugar. We love the rich flavor of toasted walnuts, but you can substitute toasted pecans or even pistachios. Once you’ve made the dough and formed the cookies into crescents, be sure to place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. While it might be tempting to just coat your cookie sheets with cooking spray, the parchment paper will keep the cookies from sticking. When the cookies are done baking, let them cool for one minute (they should be cool enough to handle, but still warm to the touch) before rolling them in powdered sugar. When the cookies are still warm, the sugar will adhere better and create a powdery, snowy look.
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°F. Beat butter with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat until well incorporated. Add flour; beat until blended. Stir in walnuts.
Step 2
Shape into 16 (1-inch) balls, and roll each ball into a 3-inch rope. Place ropes 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, and curve into crescents.
Step 3
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 9 to 10 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans 1 minute. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Dust with additional powdered sugar, if desired.
