Christmas Walnut Crescent Cookies - Hókifli
These Christmas walnut cookies have a sweet, nutty filling inside a flakey, rich pastry! Heavily sprinkled with icing sugar mixed with vanilla flavored sugar. While they are traditionally made at Christmastime, they are outstanding any time of year.
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Medium bowls
- Saucepan
- Food processor
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoon
- Zester
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment paper
- Baking tin
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour 200 grams
- 8 3/4 tbsp butter 125 grams
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 pinch salt
For the walnut filling
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup finely ground walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Topping
- 1 cup powdered sugar mixed with vanilla flavored sugar
Instructions
For the dough
- In a big bowl, mix the flour, the pinch of salt with the cubed butter using your hands until crumbly.
- Add one teaspoon of lemon zest and 1/2 cup of sour cream and knead until it comes together in a nice soft dough. Add more sour cream if needed. If your dough is too sticky, add more flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and and let the dough rest for 20 minutes
For the walnut filling
- Ins a saucepan, bring 1/4 cup of milk to a boil, add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, 1 cup of ground walnuts and the zest of half a lemon, mix well.
- Turn the heat off and let it cool completely.
- It will get thicker as it cools.
To create the crescents
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Line a baking tin with parchment paper.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out until 1/8 inch thick (3 mm).
- Cut out circles using a 7 cm (2.8”) cookie cutter.
- Place one teaspoon of nut filling on each circle.
- Gently roll it up and stretch the rolls into crescent shapes.
- Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake them until they begin to get a little color, it takes around 25 minutes, but it depends on your oven. It can take a bit less or more time.
- Take them out and one by one immediately roll the hot cookies into powdered sugar-vanilla flavored sugar mixture.
