Crescent Almond Flavored Cookies are an almond flavored Italian treat that’s a staple for the holidays and weddings. These freshly baked homemade gems are the perfect bite of almond flavor, butter and sugar.
These wonderful cookies are nutty and buttery and a great addition to any holiday party, bridal shower or family dinner.
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Crescent Cookies
These Italian Almond Crescent Cookies are crispy, tender and look so elegant on a tray. Plus, they really are super easy to make. To find out more about types of Italian cookies, check out all the Italian bakery cookie variations.
If you want more Christmas Ideas to make your holiday season a little easier, check It is a Keeper for this helpful guide.
Why This Almond Sugar Cookie Recipe is a Keeper
Many nationalities have there own special version of this buttery melt-in your mouth moon cookie. In Austria they are know as vanillekipferl cookies, but Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, etc., all have their own version. They are usually served with tea or coffee and are a staple around the Christmas holidays.
- 20 Minutes: Quick cookies with amazing texture and flavor.
- Easy Ingredients: All found in pantry or fridge. If you love almond you will love these cookies
- Adaptable: Can make it low-carb or vegan versions of this sinful cookie.
- Gift: These are great for cookie trays or cookie tins and make a wonderful hostess gift.
If you’re looking for more Christmas Cookie inspired recipes, try these Christmas Norwegian Cookies (Brune Pinner), Italian Pizzelle Cookies and Twix Cookie Bars.
Why do you use Shortening in this recipe?
Shortening has a higher melting point then butter does and it traps more air bubbles. Therefore shortening tend to produce a higher, cookie which holds its shape during baking. Additionally, they have an interior texture that is softer and lighter.
Ingredient Notes for Soft Almond Sugar Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour: When measuring flour, make sure to spoon it in and do not pack the flour in, lightly scrap off the excess from the top.
- Shortening: This in place of unsalted butter for this cookie recipe.
- Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: The blend makes the perfect crescent cookie.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for the Easy Almond Cookie
You can add more almond extract if you love almond flavored homemade sugar cookies.
- Vanilla Crescent – Make this Vienna Austrian cookies by adding just the vanilla extract and skip the almond extract for these chewy cookies. Make sugar cookies with a wonderful cookie that look soft and tender.
- Sugar Substitute – Use a low calorie, granulated sugar alternative that will swap out in a one to one ratio.
- Sanding Sugar: You can use beautiful colors of sanding sugar to decorate the cookies.
- Almond Frosting: Bake the Cookies and then cool, then create an almond frosting with pure almond extract and mix together the powdered sugar and a little milk to ice the cookies.
How to Make Almond Extract Cookies
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These are the basic steps for making almond Christmas cookies. Refer to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom for detailed recipe instructions. We love reader interaction, let us know if you try this recipe.
STEP 1: Prep
First, preheat oven to 400F and then line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
STEP 2: Mix the Batter for Chewy Sugar Cookies
Second, in a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredient of flour, baking soda and salt. Next in a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer beat together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then beat in the wet ingredients of eggs and almond extracts for 30 seconds, then add half of the flour mixture and beat until fully incorporated, then add remaining half of the flour mixture.
STEP 3: Scoop the Cookie Dough Balls
Use a cookie scoop to portion out the cookies, then roll each scoop of dough into balls and form a 3.5″ log and curve the log to form a crescent shape. Place each rolled cookie onto the prepared baking mats.
STEP 4: Bake Cookies and Place on Rack to Cool Completely
Finally, bake for 8-10 minutes, until just lightly golden and cookies start to crack on top and the edges of the cookies start to slightly brown. Remove baking sheet and allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before dusting with confectioners’ sugar.
Recipe FAQs about these Almond Meltaway Cookies
Expert Tips To Love this Recipe
These melt in your mouth soft sugar cookies are an easy cookie and a crowd pleasing recipe.
- Toast Nuts: Toast the almonds to have an amazing flavor. You can use walnuts, pecans or other nut for this recipe. Top with a sliced almonds or slivered almond.
- Variation tip: Chocolate. Dip in almond icing, white or dark chocolate or drizzle on top.
- Alternate ingredient: A little orange zest adds a nice surprise. Or try adding a little spice like cinnamon to the Crescent soft cookies recipe.
- Cool: Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before dusting with the powdered sugar or it will just melt in.
- Frost or Almond glaze: Make a vanilla or almond extract glaze with powdered sugar for the top of the best almond cookies.
- Chill: Chill the dough before baking so they keep their shape.
What to Serve with Crescent Almond Flavored Cookies
Crescent Almond Flavored Cookies
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Vegetable Shortening
- ¾ cup White Sugar
- 3 Eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1 cup Powdered Icing Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in eggs and extracts for 30 seconds, then add half of the flour mixture. Beat until fully incorporated, then add remaining half of the flour mixture.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion out the cookies, then roll each scoop of cookie dough to form a 3.5″ log and curve the log to form a crescent shape. Place each rolled cookie onto the prepared baking mats.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just lightly golden and cookies start to crack on top.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
Christina’s Notes
- Toast Nuts: Toast the almonds to have an amazing flavor. You can use walnuts, pecans or other nut for this recipe.
- Variation tip: Chocolate. Dip in white or dark chocolate or drizzle on top.
- Alternate ingredient: A little orange zest adds a nice surprise. Or try adding a little spice like cinnamon to the Crescent cookies recipe.
- Cool: Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before dusting with the powdered sugar or it will just melt in.
- Glaze: Make a vanilla or almond glaze for the top of the cookies.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
One of the Expert Tips is to toast the almonds first. Also mentioned is that other nuts can be substituted. I don’t see any nuts used in the actual recipe. Am I missing something?
You can add nuts to the cookies if you like. They can be decorative or mixed through the dough to add a little crunch.
Ingredients say baking powder but recipe directions say baking soda!
Which is correct?
Baking powder. It has been updated, sorry about that.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter in Crescent Cookie recipe?
We use a shortening in this recipe, however you can use unsalted butter if your prefer.