Follow me on my Baking Journey :

Walnut Crescent Cookies / Kiflice sa Orasima

20 min

easy

38-40 cookies

Deliciously crumbly Walnut Crescent Cookies / Kiflice sa Orasima. Crescent shaped cookies are one of the most popular cookies around the Balkans, especially during the festive seasons. That said, these cookies can be baked all year round. I don’t particularly reserve these cute delicacies for the Serbian Christmas or New Year celebrations only, I bake them on random occasions too. From vanilla, almond or these walnut flavoured cookies, they are just so darn delicious. Made with the typical short-bread dough ingredients, these cookies are filled with ground walnuts, shaped into crescents and baked until perfection. Store them in an air-tight container and they can be ready for that moment of bliss any time.

Walnut Crescent Cookies / Kiflice sa Orasima Ingredients

About this recipe

You may have seen me say here before that growing up, I have enjoyed a variety of kiflice / crescent cookies. From the doughy based recipes to short-bread types of kiflice, I loved them all. Mums doughy, jam filled kiflice were always the best. They were one of my favourite cozy night snacks. The short-bread style of kiflice is not something we had often, but it was definitely a cookie that I loved to add to my dessert plate on special occasions.

This recipe for Walnut Crescent Cookies / Kiflice sa Orasima is made using a short-bread style of dough. Using all of the usual ingredients – butter, egg yolk and sugar to create that melt in your mouth moment.. When it comes to the nuts, walnuts are a staple and tradition in Serbia. However you can also use almonds or hazelnuts. Keep in mind that depending on the type of nut, the colour of the overall cookie may wary. Almonds usually create a lighter coloured cookie. But, since we love the flavour of walnuts in so many of our desserts, I am keeping this recipe traditional. It reminds me of home!

The batter is fairly easy to make – this part should be a breeze. When it comes to shaping them into crescents, this can take a little trial and error. Personally, I prefer a smaller, dainty size for this cookie, but you can make them slightly bigger. These cookies bake fairly quickly, so keep an eye out before the bottom parts become burnt.

Head straight down to the end for the recipe ingredients and instructions or read a little more below for some tips on these little delicacies.

Some tips

Ensure Butter is Softened: Allow the butter to soften at room temperature before starting the recipe. Softened butter ensures easier mixing and a smoother shortbread dough. You will struggle to form the dough if the butter is not soft enough.

Combine dry ingredients separately: Mix the butter, sugar and egg yolks first. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and add to the already mixed butter mixture. This helps the ingredients combine well.

Chill the Dough: Always chill the dough before shaping the crescents. This can make the dough easier to handle and prevent excessive spreading during baking.

Chill Overnight Before Baking (Optional): These cookies can be covered and chilled overnight before baking. I have tested this method for these cookies and it works perfectly. The next day, preheat the oven and bake the cookies at 180°C for 10-12 minutes.

Maintain Consistent Sizes: Aim for consistent sizes when shaping the crescents. You can do this by weighing out 20 g of dough each time you shape a crescent. This ensures uniform baking times.

Check for Golden Edges: Keep a close eye on the cookies towards the end of the baking time. Once the edges turn a golden brown, they are ready to come out of the oven.

Optional Finishing Touch: Add a final touch by dusting the cooled crescents with powdered sugar for a visually appealing presentation. However, do not add the powdered sugar if the cookies are still hot to the touch. The powdered sugar will melt.

Store in an Airtight Container: Once completely cooled, store the Walnut Crescent Cookies in an airtight container to maintain their freshness and prevent them from becoming stale.

Walnut Crescent Cookies / Kiflice sa Orasima.

Looking for more?

If you are looking for more ideas, try one of the recipes below:

Kiflice sa sirom / Crescents with cheese

Vanilice / Vanilla Cookies

Nutella Filled Kiflice

I hope that you enjoy these delicious Walnut Crescent Cookies / Kiflice sa Orasima! Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! If you have questions, you can find me over on Instagram or tag me with your photo. You can also find me over on TikTok and Youtube.

Reviews

Ingredients:

Adjust Servings
200g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100g granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
180g grounded walnuts
300g all purpose flour
1/2tsp salt

Directions

1.
Prepare the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Next, add the egg yolks and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, add the grounded walnuts, flour and salt. Mix to combine. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, begin adding the walnut, flour and salt mixture to the butter mixture (about one tablespoon at time). Mix until a soft, cohesive dough forms. Towards the end use your hands to combine the dough and shape into a smooth dough ball. Refrigerate the dough for 30-45 minutes. The dough should be chilled but not overly firm.
Mark as complete
2.
Shape the Crescents
Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure your cookies won't stick. Once the dough has chilled, remove from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. For consistent size of the cookies, weight out 20g of dough, roll into a ball and then roll into a log. Shape each log into a crescent and place it onto the already lined baking tray. Repeat the same steps until you have used up all of the dough.
At this point, you can refrigerate the cookies overnight and bake the next day. If you do choose to refrigerate overnight, cover each tray with foil. Alternatively, refrigerate for a further 15 min and then bake.
Mark as complete
3.
Bake
Towards the end of the chilling process, preheat your oven to 180°C. Bake the cookies in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye out that the cookies don't start burning on the bottom. You know that your cookies are baked when their bottoms are brown. If the top of your cookies starts to get brown as well, they may be overbaked. These cookies will be soft when you take them out from the oven. Avoid pressing down or touching with your fingers, allow them to cool down instead. When they cool, they will firm up. Because every oven bakes differently I recommend keeping an eye on them the first time you bake them.
Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool. Once they are cool, serve the cookies as they are or roll them into icing sugar. Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.
Mark as complete
Notes
Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature prior to preparing the dough. Softened butter ensures easier mixing and a smoother shortbread dough.
Once you have made the dough, chill the dough before shaping the crescents. This can make the dough easier to handle and prevent excessive spreading during baking.
Aim for consistent sizes when shaping the crescents. For reference, I weighed 20g of dough per each cookie to make sure I got cookies similar in size.
Keep a close eye on the cookies when baking. Once the edges turn a golden brown, they are ready to come out of the oven.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *