Holiday cookie recipe: Ronnie’s raspberry crescents

With a rich, flaky crescent exterior and sweet but tangy raspberry filling, you might never guess how simple these raspberry crescent cookies are to make. And they only require a handful of ingredients and an hour or so of time. Though they’re perfect for the holidays, you might just find yourself making them throughout the year. These holiday treats come from Kim Nykanen of Claremont, a finalist one year in our L.A. Times Holiday Cookie Bake-Off. She writes:

“This was always my and my five siblings’ favorite Christmas cookie growing up. Since the recipe only makes 24 cookies, they were obviously a precious commodity. I’ve made it every year for at least the last 25 years. And my older sisters have too. I’ll usually make a cookie sampler, just three or four types, but these are absolutely my husband’s favorite cookie, and so for the last 20 years, even if I make no other cookies, I make these.”

RONNIE’S RASPBERRY CRESCENTS

Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling time | Makes 2 dozen cookies

Note: Adapted from a recipe by Kim Nykanen.

COOKIES

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (5 ounces) flour

1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until well-blended. Slowly beat in the flour until well combined to form a soft dough. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in wax paper and chill for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to about a 9-inch circle. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Put a scant half teaspoon of jam on the wide end of each wedge. Roll each wedge from the wide end toward the point to form a crescent. Place each crescent point-side down on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cookies and cool on a rack.

GLAZE AND ASSEMBLY

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons lemon juice

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and lemon juice until smooth to form a glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies.

Each of 2 dozen cookies: 87 calories; 1 gram protein; 9 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 14 mg cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 13 mg sodium.

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