Grandmothers are special, and my memories brim with fondness for my grandma — especially in the kitchen!
She was 100% Sicilian, which means she made oodles of homemade noodles and left them to dry on every possible surface of her kitchen. She would simmer a pot of homemade tomato sauce on the stove all afternoon. Biscotti was the only conceivable thing to dip into a steaming cup of coffee, yet crescent cookies were her treat of choice.
To honor her memory, I made a batch of homemade crescent cookies around the anniversary of her death. I have never made them before, but this is the perfect recipe for a brand new or inexperienced baker. There are only five ingredients, and you’ll learn the basics of greasing a pan, combining a dough with your hands, and how to pipe dough. Plus, it’s very hard to burn these cookies so there’s nothing to fear!
Start with the basics: grease the pan. Smear a thin layer of butter over the pan, then sprinkle with flour. This ensures that the cookies won’t stick to the pan.
Next, toss popcorn kernels into your high-powered blender to make homemade cornmeal in only one minute! Then combine the dry ingredients.
Then add in one egg and mix. Add in the second egg and mix. If you’re using a spoon, it will seem like the dough isn’t sticking together. Get your hands in there and you’ll see how easily it forms into a smooth ball.
At this point, let your dough rest for thirty minutes, then preheat your oven to 400°F.
After half an hour, grab a freezer zippered bag. You want to have a freezer bag because these are thicker and stronger, which you will need to withstand this dough.
Spoon the dough into the corner of the zippered bag. Snip off the edge of the bag to create an opening. Squeeze (also known as “pipe”) the dough out onto the pan in the shape of a crescent moon. Leave at least half an inch between cookies.
Bake for 15 minutes, and then check every minute until the cookies are golden brown. Allow to cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy the fruit of your labor and share some cookies with those you love!
Italian Crescent Cookies
A traditional Italian cookie with a mildly coarse texture and a just the right amount of sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, salted
- ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- ½ cup popcorn kernels
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Grind ½ cup of popcorn kernels in the Vitamix Dry Grains container on high for 1 minute. Strain before adding to the recipe to remove any unground kernels.
- Combine all dry ingredients together: cornmeal, flour, and sugar.
- Blend in butter.
- Add eggs 1 at a time until a soft dough forms. You may need to mix with your hands.
- Let rest 30 min.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Butter and flour a baking sheet (I use a silicone liner instead).
- Pipe dough into crescent shapes (I use a zippered bag with the corner snipped).
- Bake for 15-20 min till lightly browned, then let cool on a cooling rack.
Notes
We recommend only using organic, non-GMO popcorn for your homemade cornmeal.
It’s best to make this recipe using a stand mixer.
Use freezer zippered bags because they are thicker and are less likely to rip.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 118Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 75mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
