These little jam-filled crescents are one of my all-time favorite things to bake, and one batch of dough somehow turns into a whole heaping plateful. They’re tender and buttery with a soft shortbread texture, filled with a spoonful of jam, and dusted in powdered sugar. What I love most is that they stay soft for days instead of drying out the way a lot of cookies do. I make these more than anything else in my kitchen and my family never gets tired of them.
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons sour cream
- jam or preserves, any flavor you love
Sift the flour into a bowl and add the powdered sugar, baking powder, and cold butter. Rub everything together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and sour cream, then knead it by hand just until it comes together into a dough. Pop it in a plastic bag and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Divide the chilled dough into 2 pieces. Roll each one out into a circle on a lightly floured surface, then cut it into triangles like you’re slicing a pizza. Put a small spoonful of jam at the wide end of each triangle and roll it up toward the point into a little crescent.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the crescents on it. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 15 minutes, until they’re just barely golden.
While they’re still warm, roll the crescents in powdered sugar until they’re coated all over. Let them cool and dust with a little more powdered sugar before serving. They come out soft, buttery, and just sweet enough, perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
