Walnut crescent cookies: lard dough rises overnight in the fridge, not in warmth

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Dissolve the yeast

   5 min

   Crumble the yeast into the room-temperature sour cream, add 1 tbsp powdered sugar, and stir until the yeast dissolves.

2. Make the dough

   10 min

   Combine the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl with the chilled lard. Rub together with your fingertips until small crumbs form. Add the egg yolks and sour cream mixture, and quickly work into a smooth dough. Do not knead for long, so the lard stays cold.

3. Refrigerate overnight

   8 hr

   Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight for at least 8 hours. The dough will rise only slightly in the refrigerator; it will puff up in the oven.

4. Prepare the filling

   10 min

   Mix the ground walnuts with the powdered sugar, pour in the hot milk, and stir. Add the rum and lemon zest, and let the filling cool.

5. Roll out and cut

   15 min

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). On a floured work surface, roll one portion of dough into a circle about 30 cm in diameter and cut it into 12 wedges, like a pizza. Keep the remaining dough portions in the refrigerator.

6. Fill and shape the crescents

   25 min

   Place a teaspoon of filling at the wide end of each triangle, roll toward the tip, and bend the ends into a crescent shape. Arrange the crescents on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 cm apart. Repeat with the remaining dough portions.

7. Bake

   30 min

   Bake the crescents one sheet at a time for 14–15 minutes, until puffed and light golden. Bake both sheets this way.

8. Coat in sugar

   10 min

   Mix the powdered sugar with the vanilla sugar. Let the crescents rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then coat them in the vanilla sugar mixture while still warm. Let cool on a wire rack.

Tip: Roll out the dough one portion at a time straight from the refrigerator, keeping the rest chilled. Warm lard dough gets sticky, and the crescents will puff up less in the oven. Read more: Frozen lemons: why to freeze them and use the peel

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Krehké fúkané rožky s orechmi: cesto s masťou kysne cez noc v chladničke, nie v teple