These Amaretto Almond Crescent Cookies are a rustic twist on the classic version. Made with finely pulsed whole almonds, they have a crumbly, sandy texture more like a buttery biscuit than a soft shortbread. Lightly sweetened, coated with powdered sugar, and finished with a hint of almond liqueur, they’re elegant enough for the holidays or on a cookie table for a wedding.
I like to watch The Great British Bake Off and when they have Biscuit Week, these cookies are what I think of as far as texture. A good English sandy and crumbly textured cookie biscuit. I would love to know if you agree!
Why You'll Love These Crumbly Almond Cookies
- Sandy, with a crumbly texture
- Subtle amaretto flavor for a grown up taste
- Snowy finish from the powdered sugar
- Perfect for holidays, gifts, or anytime
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Butter unsalted
- Sugar white
- Almonds, raw
- Amaretto liqueur
- All purpose flour
- Kosher Salt
- Powdered sugar
Ingredient Tips
- Use raw almonds (skins on is fine)
- Pulse almonds in a food processor until fine pieces but not flour consistency
- Amaretto comes in small bottle (we called them pony bottles)
- Amaretto adds a subtle warmth - don't overdo the amount.
- Substitute almond extract for a kid friendly version
How to Make Amaretto Almond Crescent Cookies
Almond crescent cookies (or do you call them almond horns?) are such a classic holiday cookie. There are quite a few variations, some made with almond flour, finely chopped raw almonds, and almond slices on the outside of the cookie. So if you are an almond lover, indulge.
Prep
1. Weigh or measure the granulated sugar and set it aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour. Add to the flour the salt and whisk to blend.
This recipe calls for ¾ cup of finely chopped almonds. I like to start with about a cup of whole raw almonds in my food processer and pulse until they are uniformly chopped. It's very important to chop and then measure.
2. My food processor has a smaller bowl inside the big bowl. This is perfect for chopping up nuts. Put the lid on and pour a cup of almonds through the top. I let it run for 10 second. Then I pulse it 4 or 5 times.
3. You want fairly small pieces of almond when you are done pulsing, but not so fine that is looks like almond flour. If they are too big, the all-purpose flour and butter will have a hard time holding everything together. It will also make it harder to roll and shape into a crescent cookie.
Mix the Cookie Dough
4. I cube the butter in the mixer bowl. I like to cream my butter before I add the sugar. This also let me know how cold my butter still is by how easily it slices.
5. Cream the butter on a medium mixer speed for about a minute. If it is colder, it may take 2 minutes.
6. Add the sugar and mix on a medium mixer speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another minute.
7. Now that the butter-sugar mixture is mixed, add the finely chopped almonds, vanilla extract, and the Amaretto.
8. Mix until the almond pieces are incorporated into the cookie dough. I scrape down the bowl and across the bottom to make sure all the butter is mixed in with the almonds.
9. Finally, add the flour about ⅓ at a time until mixed in the almond butter mixture. Try not to over mix. You can always finish in the next step when pressing it into a ball.
Shape and Bake the Almond Biscuit Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) Line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.
10. Dump the cookie dough onto a pastry mat. Knead it together, noting any stray flour that may need to be mixed in. Form a ball and I let it rest while I finish setting up.
11. I take about 1 ½ inch across ball of cookie dough and roll it either between my hands or on the pastry mat. Depending on the length and width of your crescent will determine how many cookies you get from the dough. Just try to keep them about the same size so they bake evenly. I put 9 on a sheet pan.
12. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool for about 5 to 7 minutes before giving them a powdered sugar bath.
The top 6 crescents are ready for the oven. The bottom 6 crescents are baked. Just wanted you to see how they do spread some. This is why I only put 9 on a sheet pan.
13. Add the powdered sugar to a shallow dish and while the cookies are still warm (not hot) cover them in the powdered sugar. After they have cooled completely, you can sprinkle them with a little more powdered sugar is you like.
Enjoy!
FAQ's
Well, there will be a small amount of alcohol left in the cookie after it is baked. But you can substitute ¼ to ½ teaspoon of almond extract for the 1 tablespoon of the Amaretto Liqueur. I also would add a full teaspoon of vanilla extract instead of the ½ teaspoon. You can adjust the amount of the almond extract to suit your taste.
Of course not. You could roll them into log shapes and roll them in almond slices. I don't know about scooping the cookie dough. I have never tried that and not sure if you would need a little more time to bake or not. If you try scooping, let me know how they turned out....
Definitely store them in an air-tight container. These will last for 5-7 days.
More Almond Cookie Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Amaretto Almond Crescent Cookies
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted
- ¾ cups (150 g) granulated Sugar white
- ¾ cup (107.25 g) Almonds, raw Finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon Amaretto liqueur
- 2 ¼ cups (281.25 g) All-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 cup (120 g) Powdered sugar or more if needed
Instructions
- In a food processor (I used whole raw almonds), pause almonds until they are small pieces. Weigh or measure what you will need for the recipe and set the almond pieces aside. Weigh or measure the sugar in a bowl, and in another bowl, weigh or measure the flour and the salt. I run a whisk through to blend the flour and salt.
- In a stand or hand-held mixer, cream the butter for about a minute. Gradually add the sugar in and mix on medium mixer speed for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and across the bottom and turn the mixer on for about 30 seconds to ensure the butter and sugar are mixed well. Next, add the amaretto liqueur, vanilla extract, and the almond pieces and blend until the almonds are incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides again and turn the mixer to a low speed. Add about half the flour mixture and blend until incorporated about 30 seconds. Take the dough and add to a pastry mat and form a large ball. You want to make sure the flour is incorporated into the butter. The ball should be a little greasy from the butter.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C), and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Take about 1-½ inch size ball and either gently roll it between your hands or on a flat surface till about 3 to 3-½ inches long. When rolling, if it separate, just start that one over again or gently roll till it comes back together again.
- Laying on a flat surface, bend the ends gently down to you to form a crescent shape. The crescent shape should be about 1 inch thick. I put 9 crescents on my cookie sheet and baked for 11-13 minutes. Leave them on the cookie sheet for a minute after taking them out of the oven before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Take the powdered sugar and add it to either a shallow bowl or flat plate. After the cookies have cooled for 5-7 minutes, they should be warm but not hot to the touch. Add a cookie one at a time and roll it around in the powdered sugar until completely coated. Move the coated cookies back to the cooling rack to complete the cooling. After the cookies have completely cooled, you can dust more powdered sugar on it you like.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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