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Swedish Christmas Crescents

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Submitted by rene1

Swedish Christmas crescent cookies: tender almond shortbread shaped into half-moons and finished with cinnamon sugar. The classic Scandinavian holiday cookie that melts on the tongue.

YIELD

48 servings

PREP

15 min

COOK

15 min

READY

30 min

Swedish Christmas crescents, called pepparkakshornor or simply finskåbröd depending on region, are the holiday cookie you’ll find on every Scandinavian fika tray from December onward. The half-moon shape echoes traditional designs across Europe (Italian rugelach, Austrian vanillekipferl, Greek kourabiedes), all variations on a buttery, nut-enriched shortbread.

The technique here is straight shortbread chemistry: cream room-temperature butter with powdered sugar until light, then work in flour and ground almonds just until the dough comes together. Powdered sugar (rather than granulated) is what gives these cookies their characteristic melt-in-your-mouth texture.

The corn starch in commercial powdered sugar adds tenderness, and the fine grind dissolves completely into the dough.

Ground almonds do triple work: they add subtle nutty flavor, contribute fat that intensifies the buttery texture, and break up the gluten development for a more crumbly bite. Just two tablespoons is plenty.

The low 325°F (165°C) bake keeps the crescents pale, just barely golden at the edges. Higher heat would brown them and turn that delicate texture brittle.

Pro Tips

  • Toast the ground almonds lightly in a dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes before adding. Raw ground almonds taste flat.
  • Roll the dough into smooth ropes first, then cut and curve into crescents. More uniform cookies bake more evenly.
  • Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar before baking, not after. It bonds to the cookie surface during baking.
  • Cool completely before transferring. Warm shortbread crumbles at the slightest touch.

Variations

  • Substitute hazelnuts or pecans for the almonds for different nut profiles.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of cardamom to the dough for a more pronounced Scandinavian flavor.
  • Dip the cooled crescents halfway in melted dark chocolate for a more festive presentation.

Ingredients

1 237
CUP ML BUTTER
1 237
1 5
TEASPOON ML VANILLA EXTRACT
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SALT
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML ALMONDS
ground
2 473
¼ 59
CUP ML POWDERED SUGAR
mixed with
2 10
TEASPOONS ML CINNAMON

Directions

Cream butter and sugar.

Beat in vanilla, salt andamp; ground almonds.

Gradually blend in flour.

Shape dough into crescents using a rounded teaspoonful for each.

Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture andamp; bake on ungreased cookie sheets in 325℉ (160℃)F oven 15 to 18 minutes.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 14g (0.5 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 802 54% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 48g 74%
Saturated Fat 29g 147%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 122mg 41%
Sodium 624mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 29%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Sugars g
Protein 15g
Vitamin A 28% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 4% Iron 19%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Good source of fiber
 

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