Holiday cookie recipe: Ronnie’s raspberry crescents

Kim Nykanen of Claremont was one of the 10 winners of last year’s Los Angeles Times Holiday Cookie Bake-Off with Ronnie’s raspberry crescents:

“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. I try to hide how easy they are so they don’t decide what a cute Valentine’s Day cookie they would be too!�

These festive cookies are one of the favorite holiday cookie recipes we’ve collected in our updated “Los Angeles Times Holiday Cookies� e-book. The cookbook now includes 65 recipes from a wide range of sources, including world-famous pastry chefs, favorite bakeries and home cooks. And check out the favorite holiday recipes we’ve collected in our “Los Angeles Times Holiday Handbook.� The book shares more than 110 seasonal recipes to help you celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s.

Each book is $4.99. They are available at the Los Angeles Times bookstore for Kindle, Nook and iBooks.

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You can find Noelle Carter on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. Email Noelle at [email protected].

Ronnie’s raspberry crescents

Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling time

Servings: 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

Cookies

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.