Almond-Hazelnut Chocolate Crescents

Do you love chocolate and nuts as much as I do? Given only one kind of dessert to eat for the rest of my life, I would choose something with chocolate (dark) and nuts.  If you are shaking your head up and down in agreement and are still planning on doing a little Christmas cookie baking this weekend, I have a recipe for you!  Looking over the long list of Christmas Cookie recipes that I've saved on my computer, I found this recipe for Almond-Hazelnut Chocolate Crescents. We've all likely made the classic pecan crescents before.  I love their flaky, melt-in-mouth consistency but I wanted to try something new and the title really sounded like it would be my kind of cookie. They are, in a word, Delicious!

These are also, crispy and delicate like the original pecan crescents but with the rich, luscious flavor of chocolate, ground almonds and toasted hazelnuts.  

The drizzle of chocolate on top of these cookies makes them even more delicious and pretty - and we love pretty during the holidays, right?

Just look at that crispy and delicate texture I was telling you about.  I think I could have ground the hazelnuts even finer but they still have that almost sandy texture that I love about crescent cookies.

Another one of my routines at this time of year is drinking tea in the afternoon.  On cold, winter days winter it just hits the spot.  These crescents were the perfect afternoon snack with a warm cup of Chai tea.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you!  May you experience the wonder of the season as through the eyes of a 2-1/2 year old :-)  Now, bring on the snow!

Almond-Hazelnut Chocolate Crescent Cookies

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.com

Printable Recipe

Makes: about 48 cookies

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups finely ground almonds (you can find almonds already finely ground)
1/2 cup finely ground toasted hazelnuts (filberts), without skins preferably
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted, for drizzling over cookies

In a 350F oven, toast the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes.  Allow to cool.  When cool, transfer the hazelnuts to a food processor and pulse until finely ground but don't turn them into a paste. 

Combine flour, almonds, hazelnuts, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric or stand mixer on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.  Scrape the bowl occasionally with a spatula. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Cover and chill dough for about 2 hours until easy to handle.

Take spoonfuls of the dough and roll in your hands into 1-inch balls. On a flat surface, roll each ball into a short log with tapered ends and curve the log slightly into a crescent shape.  Place crescents 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. I use a silipat.

Bake in a 350F preheated oven for about 15 to 16 minutes or until edges are set. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

When the cookies are cooled, drizzle the melted chocolate them in a zig-zag pattern. Let stand until chocolate sets or refrigerate for about 20 minutes.