No holiday cookie baking session is complete without some sort of nut cookie rolled in a cloud of powdered sugar. Fact. There are many versions: Mexican wedding cookies, Italian wedding cookies, snowballs, Russian tea cakes, polvorones, nut crescents, sandies. There’s probably a few other names out there for the same basic cookie: a buttery crumbly dough, ground nuts of some type, maybe a little spice and a double dip in powdered sugar while warm. The first to melt a bit from the heat of the cookie and create a sort of powdery icing seal and the second dip to fully coat and guarantee you cannot eat these on the sly. The telltale powdered sugar trail down the front of your shirt is always a dead giveaway.
We’re nearing the end of this season’s 12 Days of Cookies so I thought it was a good time for a chocolate version of this classic. Cocoa powder and ground almonds (and a good dose of butter) make up the base and I’ve tossed a bit of cocoa into that final powdered sugar dip. For a little surprise, I added a few mini chocolate chips too. Shaped into little crescents you’ve got a riff on a classic and a new shape for that cookie platter. Have at it.
36 One Dough/Many Cookies from years past:
Fruity: Jam Thumbprints, Jam Streusel Tarts, Raspberry Linzer Squares, Lemon Poppyseed Buttons, Orange Sesame Crisps, Cranberry Pistachio Coins, Almond Raspberry Strips, Orange Sandwich Cookies, Apricot Rosemary Shortbread, Coconut Lime Sticks, Bourbon Glazed Fruitcake Buttons, Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti, Blueberry Lime Buttons, Date Swirls
Nutty: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Tassies, Maple Black Walnut Cookies, PB&J Sandwich Cookies, Pecan Triangles,
Spiced: Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Cardamom Rose Coins, Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze
Chocolate: Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers, Raspberry Chocolate Drops, Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons, Dark Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Espresso Crinkles,
Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars
Holiday Classics: Cream Cheese Wreaths, Classic Molasses Cookies, Peppermint Candy Canes
2020 One Dough/12 Days of Cookies line up to date:
Basic Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough
Day 1: Cranberry Cocoa Nib Wafers
Day 2: Chocolate Banana Petit Four
Day 3: Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies
Day 4: Andes Mint Chip Cookies
Day 5: Chocolate Lebkuchen
Day 6: Fudge Tarts
Day 7: Chocolate Marzipan Cookies
Day 8: Coconut Bullseyes
Day 9: Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
DAY 10: CHOCOLATE ALMOND CRESCENTS
Start with the base chocolate dough – recipe here. I used a natural cocoa powder for this one but I think I’d prefer the darker color of a dutched cocoa on this one.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2-3 baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
- In a standing mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, combine room temperature chocolate cookie dough, smaller measure of powdered sugar, baking powder, chopped almonds, chocolate chips, cornstarch, salt and water on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
- Shape 2 teaspoons of dough into 2 ½” logs and bend into a crescent shape. Place 2” apart on the prepared sheet pans.
- Bake 10-12 minutes until firm and just firm to the touch.
- While the cookies are baking, sift the larger measure of powdered sugar and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl.
- Let the cookies cool for a minute or two until still warm but firm enough to handle. Right out of the oven the cookies are quite delicate.
- While the cookies are still warm, drop a few a time into the bowl, shaking to fully coat cookie.
- Gently remove the cookies and shake a little to remove excess sugar.
- Transfer to parchment lined sheet pans to cool completely.
- If desired, give the cookies another toss in the powdered sugar mixture for an additional coat.
- Cookies, tightly wrapped, will keep for several days. If you’d like to make ahead, shape the cookies and freeze on a sheet pan. Once solid, transfer to a Ziploc bag labeled with the cookie name and cooking time/temperature and store up to 3 months in the freezer. Bake directly from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the baking time and proceed with the recipe as directed.
STRESSCAKE 
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