Viennese Crescents
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Yield
Makes about 4 dozen
Ingredients
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons baking powder Pinch table salt 2 egg yolks 3 tablespoons light cream 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup granulated sugar 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone paper.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, and vanilla together in a measuring cup.
- Cream sugar with butter and shortening until lightened and pasty. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.) Proceed with rolling, shaping, and baking instructions under selected cookie. Selected shapes: Classic cut-outs; spirals made with another colored dough; turnovers; mock thumbprints.
- Working with about 1 tablespoon dough at a time, roll each portion of dough into a ball. Roll ball into a 3-inch length with tapered ends; turn ends down to form a crescent shape. Repeat with remaining dough. Place dough crescents about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until golden, 15 to 17 minutes. While cookies are still warm, dip them in sifted confectioners' sugar, then place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Dip cooled cookies again in confectioners' sugar.
Yield
Makes about 4 dozenIngredients
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a holiday cookie dough recipe that could be shaped into a variety of rich and tender cookies. When we added some cornstarch, which tenderized the dough, we had our perfect butter cookie recipe.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone paper.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, and vanilla together in a measuring cup.
- Cream sugar with butter and shortening until lightened and pasty. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.) Proceed with rolling, shaping, and baking instructions under selected cookie. Selected shapes: Classic cut-outs; spirals made with another colored dough; turnovers; mock thumbprints.
- Working with about 1 tablespoon dough at a time, roll each portion of dough into a ball. Roll ball into a 3-inch length with tapered ends; turn ends down to form a crescent shape. Repeat with remaining dough. Place dough crescents about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until golden, 15 to 17 minutes. While cookies are still warm, dip them in sifted confectioners' sugar, then place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Dip cooled cookies again in confectioners' sugar.
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