Pecan Crescents Food

PECAN CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
• Cream butter or margarine, gradually adding confectioners' sugar and salt. Cream until light and fluffy.
• Stir in pecans and vanilla. Add flour gradually. Mix well. Shape dough into crescents using a teaspoon full for each crescent. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 15-30 minutes. Do not brown. Let cool slightly, then roll cookies in additional confectioners' sugar.

PECAN CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
• Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a separate large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 4 teaspoons of water and the vanilla. Slowly mix in the flour mixture and finally, the pecans.
• Break off tablespoonful pieces of dough, roll each to form a crescent shape and arrange evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets. (You'll have leftover dough for a second batch.)
• Bake until slightly golden on the bottoms and edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Watch very carefully--better to undercook than overcook. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Put the powdered sugar in a shallow plate. Once cooled, roll each cookie in an ample amount of the sugar.

PECAN CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Pulse pecans in a food processor until finely ground (being careful not to grind to a paste). Beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, then add 5 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in water and vanilla, then flour and nuts, beating on low speed until blended well. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• On a lightly floured pastry cloth, roll level teaspoons of dough into 3-inch ropes, tapering ends. Curve each roll, as formed, into a crescent and arrange crescents 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, 12 to 14 minutes. While cookies are baking, sift remaining confectioners sugar into a shallow bowl. As cookies are done, transfer, a few at a time, to sugar and gently toss to coat, tapping off excess. (Sugar will melt slightly onto hot cookies.) Cool cookies on a rack. If you want sugar coating to be white and powdery, toss cookies in confectioners sugar again when cool

PECAN-CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Beat the butter, cream cheese, 2 tablespoons sugar and the salt in a large bowl with a mixer on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until crumbly, about 1 minute. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead with your hands to make a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Make the filling: Put the dried cranberries and 1 tablespoon water in a medium microwave-safe bowl; microwave until plump, about 1 minute. Let cool. Stir in the pecans, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon, then stir in the milk.
• Roll out the dough until 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out circles using a 3 1/2-inch-round cookie cutter. Gather the scraps; reroll once to cut more circles. Place a heaping teaspoonful of filling on the bottom third of each circle, leaving a small border. Brush the edges with a little milk, fold the dough over the filling and roll to enclose; pinch the 2 ends closed and bend into a crescent shape. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Arrange the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets; brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.

PECAN CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour. Stir in pecans., Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 2-1/2-in. logs and shape into crescents. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake at 325° for 20-22 minutes or until set and bottoms are lightly browned. Let stand for 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

PECAN CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine 1 cup all purpose flour, toasted pecans and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, finely chop pecans. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 3/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract in large bowl until well blended. Add pecan mixture and remaining 1 cup flour and mix thoroughly. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
• Working with 1 tablespoon dough at a time, shape dough into 3-inch-long logs. Pinch ends of logs to taper and turn in slightly, forming crescents. Place cookies on ungreased baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart (cookies will not spread).
• Bake cookies until light brown around edges and firm to touch, about 18 minutes. Cool cookies 10 minutes on baking sheets. Roll cookies in additional powdered sugar. Cool completely on racks. (Cookies can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Store in airtight container.)

COCOA-PECAN CRESCENTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, with electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
• Stir together flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, blending well.
• Stir in pecans.
• Cover; refrigerate dough 1 hour, or until firm enough to handle.
• Preheat oven to 375°.
• For each cookie, shape scant 1 tablespoon dough into log about 2 ½ inches long; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Shape each log into crescent shape, tapering ends.
• Bake 13-15 minutes, or until set.
• Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
• Cool completely.
• Roll in confectioner’s sugar.

PECAN CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter until light and fluffy; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Add water and blend. Add vanilla extract, flour and pecans. Blend well. Chill.
• Shape dough into crescents, using about 1 tablespoons for each cookie.
• Place cookies on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 325° for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack. Don't skimp on the cooling step.
• Place additional confectioners' sugar in a bowl (start with about 1 cup), coating each crescent well. Store in an air-tight container.