These cottage cheese crescent cookies are exactly what you need with afternoon coffee. They are tender and soft, with a sugar filling inside that turns wonderfully crisp. The no-yeast recipe is easy even for a complete beginner.
Do you need a quick treat for unexpected guests, or something sweet for the kids that will not take half a day? This dough is ready before your oven heats up. Is your baking sheet ready?
Quick Overview
- What it is: A lightning-fast sweet pastry from cottage cheese dough.
- Secret trick: Cheese blended smooth with an immersion blender.
- Cost and time: 16 crescents for little money, ready in about 45 minutes.
At a Glance
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Baking time: 15 to 20 minutes
- Servings: 16 crescents
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: about 135 kcal per crescent
- Trend: No yeast
Ingredients
(US cups, with grams in brackets)
- 7 oz (200 g, about 3/4 cup) farmer’s cheese (crumbly block style) or cottage cheese, well drained
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, for the dough
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup (70 g) granulated sugar, for sprinkling (the filling)
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Make the creamy base: Put the farmer’s cheese, softened butter, egg and 50 g (1/4 cup) sugar in a bowl. Blend everything with an immersion (stick) blender into a smooth purée with no lumps. This is the key to tenderness!
- Make the dough: Add the flour and baking powder. Stir with a wooden spoon first, then knead by hand into a compact dough that does not stick.
- Roll it out: On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large, thin circle (like a pizza).
- Add the sugar filling: Sprinkle the whole circle evenly with the remaining 70 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar and smooth it gently with your hand.
- Shape the crescents: Cut the circle into 16 triangles (like a pizza). Roll up each triangle from the wide end to the tip into a crescent.
- Bake: Place the crescents on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 15 to 20 minutes, until beautifully golden.
- Finish: Dust the warm crescents generously with powdered sugar.
Tips for Perfect Cottage Cheese Crescent Cookies
- Do not be afraid of the blender. If you use lumpy cheese, blending it with an immersion blender guarantees the dough will be soft as a cobweb after baking, not tough.
- Keep an eye on the oven. The sugar inside caramelizes during baking. If you bake the crescents too long, the caramel can leak out and turn bitter. Take them out as soon as they turn golden.
Easy Variations
- Cinnamon: Mix 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon into the sprinkling sugar (step 4).
- Savory: Leave out the sugar in the dough and filling, add salt, and sprinkle with grated cheese or seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Why did my crescents turn hard after baking? You probably baked them too long or added too much flour while rolling. The dough should stay soft.
- Can I use low-fat cheese? Yes, but do not replace the butter. Fat carries flavor and tenderness.
- Can I use farmer’s cheese or cottage cheese? Both work. Block-style farmer’s cheese or cottage cheese is blended into a smooth base, so lumps do not matter. If your cottage cheese is very wet, drain it first.
- How long do they keep, and can I freeze them? They are best fresh, but stay soft in an airtight container until the next day. For longer storage, freeze the baked crescents for up to 2 months and dust with powdered sugar after thawing.
- Can I make them ahead for a holiday brunch? Bake them the morning you serve them and dust with powdered sugar while still warm. They are quick enough that you do not need to prepare days ahead.
Crescents are best fresh, but in a closed container they stay soft until the next day.
Recipe adapted by the We Cook With Love team.
Enjoy! Try more recipes from our kitchen.
RATE THIS RECIPE
