Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- Zest of half an orange
- 4 oz. cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 4 oz. cold cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup jam or fruit butter
- 1/4 cup dried fruit, chopped if the piece are large, or mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup nuts, such as walnuts, almonds or pecans, or pepitas, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar*, divided
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water
Instructions
- To make the dough, place the flour, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse several times until the dough resembles coarse meal. Do not let dough form a ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a cutting board and gently knead it into a ball. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Flatten each piece to about 3/4 inch thick and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least three hours and up to two days.
- When ready to form and bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Take one half of the dough out of the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. (This will make for easier rolling and reduce cracking.)
- To form the traditional crescent-shaped cookies, roll out the dough on a well-floured surface into a 12-inch circle approximately 1/8 inch thick. If the edges of your circle are ragged, trim them with a knife. Leaving a slight plain edge, spread 1/4 cup of jam over the dough. Evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the dried fruit or chocolate chips over the jam, followed by 2 tablespoons of the nuts. Avoid placing any fruit, chips or nuts in the very center of the circle. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cinnamon-sugar over the dough.
- As if cutting a pizza, cut the dough round into six wedges, then halve each wedge vertically until you have 12 pieces. Starting at the wide, outside edge, carefully roll up each wedge to form a crescent. Place the crescent on the parchment-lined pan with the end point on the bottom. (Do not panic if some of the filling comes out the edges; this is common and it will bake with no problems.) Chill the formed cookies for 15 to 20 minutes prior to baking. Meanwhile, repeat the shaping process with second disk of dough.
- When ready to bake, lightly brush the tops of the cookie with the egg wash, and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. Bake the crescents for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Let cookies cool on the pan for five minutes, then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Alternatively, to form sliced cookies, roll out the dough on a well-floured surface into an 8×12 rectangle approximately 1/8 inch thick. If the edges of your rectangle are ragged, trim them with a knife. Leaving a slight plain edge on one long side, spread 1/4 cup of jam over the dough. Evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons of dried fruit or chocolate chips on top of the jam, followed by 2 tablespoons of nuts. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the dough.
- Starting at the long plain edge, carefully roll the dough up tightly into a log, and pinch the seam closed. Place the log on the parchment-lined baking sheet with the seam on the bottom side. Refrigerate the first log while you repeat the process with the other half of the dough. After forming the second log, place it on the same baking sheet, and refrigerate both logs for fifteen to twenty minutes.
- When ready to bake the cookies, lightly brush the tops of the logs with egg wash, and sprinkle them with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar. With a serrated knife, cut the dough at one-inch intervals slicing 3/4 of the way down to the bottom, but do not cut all the way through the dough. Bake the logs for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 30 minutes, then finish slicing the cookies all the way through before serving.
Notes
*Note: To make cinnamon sugar, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 3/4 tsp. cinnamon.