Ingredients
Pecan Crescent Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter cold and cut into cubes; 1/2 pound or 2 sticks
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups raw pecans unsalted; pulse finely in the food processor
Powdered Sugar Finish
- powdered sugar for coating warm cookies; choose this or the chocolate finish
Alternative Chocolate Finish
- chocolate chips or melting wafers for melting and dipping
- sprinkles or finely chopped pecans for decorating the chocolate-dipped cookies
Equipment
- Sifter or fine-mesh sieve
- Double boiler optional, for the chocolate finish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Add the raw pecans to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Stop before the nuts become oily or paste-like.
- Add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Pulse several times to combine.
- Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, similar to pie dough.
- Add the vanilla extract and water. Pulse just until the dough begins forming moist clumps and holds together when pressed. Do not overprocess.
- Take walnut-sized portions of dough, roll each into a short rope, and gently curve the ends inward to form a crescent. Arrange on baking sheets with space between the cookies.
- Bake at 325°F for 20 minutes.
- For the powdered sugar finish, gently roll the cookies in powdered sugar while still warm. Alternatively, cool the cookies, dip part of each one in melted chocolate, add sprinkles or finely chopped pecans, and place on wax paper until set.
Notes
Food processor: Pulse the pecans first, then build the entire dough in the processor. Stop as soon as the mixture forms moist clumps, similar to pie dough.
Pecans: Use 2 cups raw, unsalted pecans and avoid processing them into pecan butter.
Shaping: Use walnut-sized portions and keep the crescents a similar thickness for even baking.
Finishing: Choose powdered sugar or a chocolate-dipped finish. The original instructions suggest half a package of chocolate morsels but do not specify the package size.
Yield: The original recipe does not specify a cookie count. Yield depends on portion size.