Name: Austrian Vanilla Crescent Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: About 30 cookies (4 servings)
Cuisine: Austrian
Ingredients: 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup (110 g) finely ground hazelnuts (or blanched almonds); 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar; 2 large egg yolks; 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract); 1/4 tsp fine sea salt; 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar; 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract); 1 tsp cornstarch (to prevent clumping)

Austrian vanilla crescents are tender, buttery shortbread-style cookies shaped into crescents and lavishly rolled in vanilla sugar while still warm. The finely ground hazelnuts give them a delicate nutty richness that pairs beautifully with the snowy vanilla coating.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time45 mins

Servings4

YieldAbout 30 cookies (4 servings)

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

720 kcalCalories
50 gFat
25 gSaturated Fat
65 gCarbs
3 gFiber
30 gSugar
9 gProtein
90 mgSodium
210 mgPotassium
60 mgCalcium
2.5 mgIron
1 mgVitamin C
350 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (110 g) finely ground hazelnuts (or blanched almonds)
2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

For the Vanilla Sugar Coating

1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
1 tsp cornstarch (to prevent clumping)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla seeds (or extract) and the egg yolks until smooth.
Mix in the ground hazelnuts, salt, and flour just until a soft dough forms; do not overwork. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 1 hour to firm up.
Pinch off tablespoon-sized portions and roll each into a small log about 3 inches long, then curve the ends inward to form a crescent shape. Place on the prepared sheets about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crescents are pale golden at the edges but still light on top; do not let them brown.
While the cookies bake, stir the coating ingredients together in a wide shallow bowl. As soon as the crescents come out of the oven, let them cool just 1 to 2 minutes so they firm up but stay warm.
Roll each warm crescent generously in the vanilla sugar, then transfer to a wire rack. Once fully cool, dust or roll them a second time for a thick snowy finish.
Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 2 weeks; the flavor deepens after a day or two.

Cook’s Notes

Toast the hazelnuts lightly and let them cool fully before grinding; this amplifies the nutty aroma.
For the most authentic flavor, use real vanilla beans in both the dough and the coating sugar.
If the dough gets too soft while shaping, return it to the fridge for 10 minutes to make rolling easier.
Vanilla sugar can be made ahead by burying a spent vanilla pod in a jar of sugar for several days.
Underbake slightly for that classic melt-in-your-mouth, sandy texture that defines Austrian crescents.