Vanilla crescents – traditional Christmas cookies according to a proven recipe recept

Name: Vanilla crescents – traditional Christmas cookies according to a proven recipe
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 80
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour (ideally fine „special“); 140 g powdered sugar; 200 g finely ground walnuts; 200 g good-quality butter (min. 82 % fat); 200 g vegetable shortening for baking (75–80 % fat); 2 heaped tablespoons powdered sugar; 24 g vanilla sugar

Easy to prepare
80 portions
90 minutes

Jan, 19. 12. 2025

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Vanilla crescents are among the most classic Christmas pastries in Czech households.

They are delicate, fragrant, gently nutty and after a few days of resting they literally melt on the tongue. This recipe is based on professional pastry practice and is proven, stable and reliable, if you follow the ingredient ratios and the correct procedure.

Thanks to the combination of butter and vegetable shortening, the crescents have the ideal texture – they are not dry, do not break and at the same time hold their shape beautifully.

For 80 portions

Ingredients

Shortcrust dough:

500 g plain flour (ideally fine „special“)
140 g powdered sugar
200 g finely ground walnuts
200 g good-quality butter (min. 82 % fat)
200 g vegetable shortening for baking (75–80 % fat)

For coating:

2 heaped tablespoons powdered sugar
24 g vanilla sugar

Preparation procedure

Dough preparation Pour the plain flour, powdered sugar and ground walnuts into a large bowl. Add the cold butter cut into cubes and the vegetable shortening. Quickly work into a smooth, compact dough. Work briskly so the fat doesn't warm up unnecessarily. Wrap the finished dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This will make it easier to work with and the crescents will hold their shape.
Shaping the crescents Cut off smaller pieces from the rested dough and roll them in your palms into small cylinders, then bend them into a crescent shape. Place the finished crescents on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
Baking Preheat the oven to 170–175 °C. Bake the crescents for approximately 10–12 minutes. Properly baked ones remain light, only the bottom should turn slightly pink. Do not overbake them, otherwise they will lose their crispness.
Coating Carefully coat the still-warm crescents in the mixture of powdered and vanilla sugar. Handle them very gently; they are fragile.

Number of servings

approx. 80–100 pieces (depending on the size of the crescents)

Total preparation time

dough preparation: 20 minutes
resting the dough: 30–60 minutes
shaping: 30 minutes
baking: 10–12 minutes
total: approx. 1.5–2 hours

Practical tips

Crescents taste best after 2–3 days of resting in a sealed container
If you want a more pronounced nutty flavor, you can replace part of the flour with nuts
Store them in a dry, cool place, ideally in a tin box

Conclusion

Vanilla crescents are a symbol of Czech Christmas and this recipe is among the tried-and-tested variants that prove reliable even in larger quantities every year. Thanks to the correct ratio of fats, the crescents are tender, crumbly and keep for a long time. If you’re looking for a recipe that won’t disappoint and tastes like it came from a patisserie, you’ve just found it.