However, dedicated to my mom, the secret is the smoothness of ground peeled almonds. Most of the people I know use hazelnuts or walnuts instead, but I can tell the difference. The most decadent classic, appreciated worldwide!
To tell you the truth, I often have to make them twice or make a double bunch straight way. They always fly away.
My Vanilla Crescent Cookies are suitable for kids from the age of 2, because of the allergen presence – almonds.
Total Time: 40 minutes + an overnight chill of The Dough
Shopping List
150g of plain flour, sifted
20g of icing sugar, sifted
1 package of vanilla sugar
50g of ground almonds, sifted
110g of butter, soft in cubes
1 egg yolk
The Dusting:
6 tablespoons of icing sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons of vanilla sugar
½ vanilla pod, seeds extracted
Instructions
The Dough
Prepare the dough 1 day ahead. In a large mixing bowl place the flour, sugars and almonds. Mix with a spatula.
Stir in the butter and egg yolk. Knead the dough with hands until it all becomes one homogeneous piece.
Wrap it in a cling foil and set in the fridge overnight.
Next day, preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
Bring the dough to a room temperature. Then, break a piece of dough with a teaspoon and shape it into the half-rounds or moon shapes (as per the pictures below).
Place the shapes on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes until they are lightly golden.
Presentation
Meanwhile, mix the sugars and seeds from the vanilla pod in a plate for The Dusting.
Once the cookies are ready, take them out and let them cool down for a couple of minutes.
Afterwards, gently coat them in sugars (the cookies are very fragile). Let them cool down completely and enjoy!
There is always some sugar left from The Dusting, so be generous and sprinkle it over the cookies with a sieve.
If you use the seeds only, always place the vanilla pod into a jar with caster superfine sugar. This way you get a marvellous vanilla sugar in a few days.
Makes 25 pieces.
