Raspberry Almond Crescent Cookies

 

So happy to share these with you! They are my hubby’s new favorite cookie! They really aren’t difficult to make and you get 48 beautiful little crescent-shaped cookies out of the dough! They are just so, so pretty! And you will be amazed at how flaky the dough bakes up to be, too!

I think these are quite a bit different than the popular rugelach cookies though, due to them not having any yeast in them, which makes for a very different flavor and consistency.

My hubby said that rugelach is a bit like a croissant, where as mine is more like a pastry. But there are so many variations of rugelach cookies handed down from generation to generation, that these could be similar to something you’ve had.

Who knows! They’re ALL good! 😀 

I’ve never had the pleasure of tasting one, but my husband has and he said mine are quite different. But, all I know is that – – I LOVE them.

I even won in Better Homes and Gardens magazine for this recipe! (I sure wish my certificate didn’t have my ex’s last name on it, though!) But oh, well, what can you do?!

Life changes and life goes on! 😉

 

 

So let’s get started! 😉 The dough is super simple to mix up. You just do it kind of like pie pastry cutting the cold butter into the flour until pea-sized. Then add in the wet ingredients. Knead just until a ball, wrap and chill.

Roll out into 10″ circles on highly-sugared surface. Then flip over. Sugaring both sides well.

 

 

 

Thinly and evenly spread on the filling mixture….

 

 

…cut like a pizza and roll up into crescents.

 

 

*Place onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. VERY important!

 

 

Bake and wah-lah!! Beeeeeautiful!! And sooooo delicious!! I had intended on getting a pic of the flaky inside, but they disappeared quickly…

Next time! 😉 So, if you’re looking for a pretty cookie to make for a special occasion, these would work nicely! They’re gorgeous on a holiday tray, make wonderful gifts and a very thoughtful treat for Valentine’s Day, too! 🙂 So hope you enjoy! Have a beautiful day! 🙂

 

—–> **** UPDATE! My recipe has just been published in Taste of Home’s 2015 Christmas Edition magazine, Ultimate Cookie Swap! (page 27) *I highly recommend that you stick to my recipe, though, and roll the dough out on sugar, and NOT do what they did. They will not be the same at all.  

 

RASPBERRY ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES

Makes 48 sweet, buttery, flaky crescent cookies

 

For the Cookie Dough:

1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut up into small pieces

2 cups flour

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup sour cream

 

For the Filling:

3/4 cup raspberry preserves, seedless if preferred

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/3 cup very finely chopped almonds

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

*sugar for rolling and sprinkling 

 

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, use a pastry cutter to cut butter into flour until small, pea-sized pieces.

In small bowl, stir together the egg yolk and sour cream, then stir into flour mixture until all of the dough is moistened. Gently knead the dough just until a ball forms.  

Wrap dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for several hours or overnight until firm.

With a knife, cut dough into four equal portions. (Keep extra portions wrapped until needed. )

On a well-sugared surface, use you hands to press the dough a bit flat and in the shape of a circle to get it started. Roll dough from center out to edges, spinning and re-sugaring underneath and a *little* on top as needed to prevent sticking, forming a 10″ circle. You can sugar your rolling pin a bit, too. 

Turn dough over so it’s sugar side-up, making sure that the bottom side is now well-sugared, too. The dough should easily spin on the table and not stick. (Toss more sugar underneath if you need to.)

In medium bowl, stir together the filling ingredients well.

Spread a fourth of the mixture in a thin layer over the dough. I just do very small dollops then gently spread out the dollops a bit to thinly cover.

With a pastry or pizza wheel, cut circle into 12 wedges just like you were cutting a pizza. Roll up each wedge loosely, beginning at the wide end and rolling towards the pointed end. Place onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets point side-down. (*Parchment paper is a must! You’ll thank me later!)

Sprinkle all with a little more sugar, and pop into preheated 350 degree oven for 17-18 minutes or until just set and very lightly golden and still pale. (Not browned.) 

Immediately remove with sharp spatula to wire rack to cool leaving behind excess filling on sheet. *Be careful! Filling will be VERY hot! I use the corner of my spatula and get underneath right in the center of the wide part and they lift right up.  (They will set up completely when cool.)

Continue with rest of dough and filling, making 48 cookies total. Store airtight.