Czech Christmas wouldn’t be complete without vanilla crescent cookies. They are the first type of Christmas cookies that disappears from the table! In Czech, we call them vanilkové rohlíčky.
❓ What Are Vanilkove rohlicky
Czech Vanilkove rohlicky belong to the typical Christmas cookies. The base comprises a buttery dough with ground nuts. The pieces of dough are shaped into a crescent shape and baked in the oven. While the crescents are still warm, you need to coat them with vanilla sugar.
Taste vanilla crescents and other classic Christmas treats in Prague during Advent! Prague, with its magical atmosphere, belongs to the best Christmas destinations in Europe.
MY TIP: Try also these Linzer cookies (a must at Czech Christmas!)
🎤 Pronunciation
Do you want to know how to pronounce “vanilkové rohlíčky”? I recorded a short audio clip with the Czech pronunciation. Here you go:
📝 Ingredients
To make vanilla crescents, you need:
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter; take the butter out of the fridge about half an hour in advance
- Coarse sugar
- Walnuts; shelled
- Egg yolk; the egg yolk will make the dough stick together well, and the crescents will shape nicely
HOMEMADE VANILLA SUGAR:
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla bean
- Airtight container; with screw cap
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
📷 Instructions with Photos
STEP 1: Grate the walnuts and put them in a bowl.
STEP 2: Add the flour, egg yolk, sugar and butter cut into pieces.
STEP 3: Work into a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for an hour.
STEP 4: Divide the dough into four pieces, roll each into a strand about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut the strand into small, equal-sized pieces.
STEP 5: Roll the pieces of dough into crescent shapes and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
STEP 6: Bake in a preheated oven at 340 °f (170 °C) for 12 minutes.
STEP 7: Roll the crescents while still warm in vanilla sugar.
🍬 Homemade Vanilla Sugar
These Christmas crescent cookies are rolled in icing sugar scented with vanilla.
I prepare my homemade vanilla sugar by pouring powdered sugar into a large container with a screw cap and placing a vanilla bean inside. I cap the container and shake it. In about three days, the sugar is beautifully scented and ready to use.
TIP: Keep adding sugar to the container, do not remove the vanilla pod.
🥧 Silicone Mold for Crescents
If you want to make baking easier, get a silicone mold with crescent shapes to press the dough in. You put the mold with the dough to bake, turn out the slightly cooled rolls and roll them in icing sugar.
👌 Useful Tips
- I grate the walnuts using a manual rotary grinder with a fine shredding blade.
- Let the crescents cool for a few minutes after baking. Then remove cookies from the baking sheet and coat them with vanilla sugar while they are still warm.
- Be careful when coating, the rolls are fragile!
GOOD TO KNOW: The vanilla crescent cookies taste best about ten days after baking. During this time, they soften and become tender. Count on it if you are planning to put the cookies on the Christmas table!
🍱 Storage
Store the vanilkove rohlicky in a resealable container; a sturdy cardboard box or metal box with a lid is suitable. The crescent cookies should be kept cool and dry. You can put them on the balcony, in the pantry, or on top of the fridge.
Read also: Czech Christmas Folk Traditions
More Christmas cookies:
- Vosi hnizda – beehive nests
- Masaryk’s cookies
- Coconut meringue cookies – kokosky
Recipe Card
Vanilla Crescent Cookies – Czech Vanilkové rohlíčky
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 and ½ stick (170 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (50 g) coarse sugar
- 1 cup (100 g) walnuts (shelled)
- 1 egg yolk
Homemade Vanilla Sugar:
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
- Grate the walnuts and put them in a bowl.
- Add the flour, egg yolk, sugar and butter cut into pieces.
- Work into a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for an hour.
- Divide the dough into four pieces, roll each into a strand about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut the strand into small, equal-sized pieces.
- Roll the pieces of dough into crescent shapes and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 340 °f (170 °C) for 12 minutes.
- Roll the crescents while still warm in vanilla sugar.
Vanilla Sugar:
- Pour powdered sugar into a large container with a screw cap and place a vanilla bean inside. Close the container and shake it. In about three days, the sugar is beautifully scented and ready to use.
Notes
- I grate the walnuts using a manual rotary grinder with a fine shredding blade.
- Let the crescents cool for a few minutes after baking. Then remove cookies from the baking sheet and coat them with vanilla sugar while they are still warm.
- Be careful when coating, the rolls are fragile!
- To make baking easier, get a silicone mold with crescent shapes to press the dough in.
- The vanilla crescent cookies taste best about ten days after baking. During this time, they soften and become tender. Count on it if you are planning to put the cookies on the Christmas table.
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chart
Louise K.
Thank you for taking the time to post this. I'm going to try these!
I plan on visiting Prague next year on a tour, and am always interested in the food of places I visit.
Petra Kupská
Ahoj Louise, thank you for your kind comment! Give these vanilla rolls a try; they are great and easy to make. Prague is a beautiful city, and you will be thrilled, I guarantee! 🙂