Orange Espresso Hazelnut Crescents
24
- Prep Time25 mins
- Total Time1 hr 20 mins
- Makes36 cookies
Text and recipe by Camilla Wynne, produced by Aimee Nishitoba, photography by Carmen Cheung, food styling by Eshun Mott, prop styling by Madeleine Johari.
Nut crescents were a fixture in recipe developer Camilla Wynne's granny’s cookie repertoire. Here, Wynne updates the beloved recipe with a little orange-espresso twist.
Ingredients
3 tbsp granulated sugar
Zest of 1 large orange, divided
2 tsp ground espresso beans, divided
1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp dark rum or vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (30 g) ground hazelnuts, toasted
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (95 g) superfine sugar
Instructions
Position rack in centre of oven, then preheat to 300F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Combine granulated sugar with half of orange zest and 1 1⁄2 tsp ground espresso in a medium bowl. Rub mixture with clean fingertips until fragrant. Add butter. Using an electric mixer on medium, beat until mixture is creamy. Beat in yolk, then rum. Fold in flour, hazelnuts and salt until a stiff dough forms.
Scoop 2 tsp portions of dough and roll into crescents. Arrange 1 in. apart on prepared sheets.
Bake until golden, about 25 min. Let cookies cool slightly on sheets, 5 to 10 min.
Meanwhile, combine superfine sugar with remaining orange zest and 1⁄2 tsp ground espresso in a small bowl, rubbing mixture together until fragrant. Coat warm cookies in flavoured sugar. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Storage tip
Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for an hour before serving.
Find more make-ahead holiday cookies in this delicious collection.
Camilla Wynne is a Toronto-based cookbook author, writer and recipe developer. Her most recent cookbook is Nature's Candy.