Danish Walnut Crescent Cookies

The Christmas season is such a magical time of year. There are so many things that go into making the magic for me – twinkle lights, children, snow, special holiday treats, family gatherings, traditions, and the fact that people in general open their hearts to one another just a little bit more than usual. That is just a short list of the many things that make this “the most wonderful time of the year” for me. This recipe is one that covers several of those items on my list – it’s a tradition in our family, it’s a special cookie we eat when together with our family, and we usually only make this one time a year – Christmastime!

I can remember having these delightful cookies at my grandmother’s house. My grandma or MorMor (that’s Danish for grandmother) as we call her, was a native of Denmark. She shared with us all kinds of recipes that she brought from her homeland, this being a family favorite. She made lots of delicious holiday treats and this particular recipe has been one of my favorites ever since I was a little girl.crecentmooncookies1

I remember my mom making batches of these to add to the holiday baskets we would take around to our neighbors, and now I make them for my own little family. They are special to me because they only come once a year, but especially because they remind me of my cute MorMor and my cute mom and special Christmases past. They are easy to make and really don’t take much time. Putting the dough together takes about 20 minutes. The dough needs to be chilled for at least 3 hours before you bake them, but of course you can do other things while that’s happening. These little lovelies can add just a touch of elegance to your celebration or gifts for neighbors. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas and See the Happy!

Walnut Crescents

These Danish butter cookies are perfect for holiday get-togethers or neighbor gifts. They will add just a touch of elegance to your event and are super easy to make.

Servings Prep Time Cook Time Passive Time
2 dozen cookies 30 min 15 min 3 hours
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • tsp water
  • tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Cream the butter to soften; then cream the butter with shortening and sugar all together.
  2. Mix in water and vanilla; then mix in flour and nuts to form a soft dough.
  3. Chill for 3 hours.
  4. Form dough into long rolls, about 1/2 inch in thickness (Like making a snake with play-dough!); cut in 3-inch lengths and shape into crescents.
  5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes at 325F. DO NOT BROWN the cookies!
  6. Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool slightly. Dip in powdered sugar.