Day Five: Swedish Crescents

Growing up, we spent Christmas Eve with my mom's parents and Christmas with my dad's mom. Christmas with Grandma Clements meant opening stockings that would be filled with lots of practical gifts, including tape and apples. It meant spending hours admiring the Christmas scene she had constructed each year on the mantle. It meant a big, hearty dinner with little gems, our favorite tiny biscuits.

And of course, it always meant cookies, and lots of them. There would be butterscotch haystacks, these swedish crescents, and many more of the cookies you'll be seeing over the next few days.

We'd enjoy them after dinner, on Grandma's beautiful china dessert plates, alongside a bowl of ice cream with hot fudge sauce.

I'd always have to have at least one swedish crescent that night. The powdered sugar made them messy, and I would be left with hands coated in sugar. I didn't mind. These swedish crescents are still delightful today. The outer layers melt in your mouth and the inner cookie has a satisfying crunch to it. These were so tasty that I forgot to take a picture of the finished cookies before eating them all. Oops.

Swedish Crescents
from the kitchen of Grandma Clements

I find a wide, deep bowl filled with powdered sugar works best for rolling these cookies. These are best rolled in sugar while hot, so I would prepare one tray of cookies at a time.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
3 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
1 cup sifted flour
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, flour, and salt, beating until well combined. Add nuts and vanilla and stir. The dough should be quite stiff.

Form cookies into crescent shapes with fingers. Place cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Remove cookies from the oven. Immediately roll in powdered sugar while warm. Place on parchment paper to cool.