Ready in: 1/2h Serves: 12 Complexity: easy Origin: Sweets and Desserts
© Kärnten Werbung, Fotograf: Carletto Photography
Ingredients
½ pounds unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 ½ - 2 inches vanilla bean
1 ¼ cups ground unblanched almonds
1 ½ - 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
1. Cream the butter and sugar together by beating them against the sides of a bowl with a wooden spoon or with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour ½ cup at a time, then add the almonds, vanilla extract and salt, continuing to beat until the mixture becomes a slightly stiff dough.
2. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter two 12-by15-inch baking sheets.
3. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of the chilled dough and place them on a floured board; roll each one into a strip an inch wide and ½ inch thick. This will make it about 2 ½ inches long. Shape each piece into a crescent by bending it into a semicircle.
4. Arrange the crescents at least ½ inch apart in the baking sheets. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 or 20 minutes, or until lightly colored.
5. While crescents are baking, combine confectioners’ sugar with vanilla bean.
Note: If vanilla bean is not available, use 2-3 tablespoons concentrated vanilla sugar combined with confectioners’ sugar.
6. Remove the sheets from the oven and leave the crescents on them to cool for about 5 minutes. When slightly cool, gently put several crescents in prepared sugar-vanilla mixture, cover them with it, and transfer to a plate. When completely cool, store crescents in an airtight container. If kept in a cool place, they will keep fresh for many weeks – if they last that long!
Makes 36 crescents.
Image: © Kärnten Werbung, Fotograf: Carletto Photography