Vanillekipferln (vanilla Crescent Cookies)

Total Time: 1 hr 29 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 15 mins Cook Time: 14 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup blanched almond, finely ground
• 3 (9 g) packets vanilla sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 lb cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 tablespoon milk

Recipe

• 1 combine flour, 3/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar, almonds, 2 of the vanilla sugar packets, and salt on a clean surface, shape into a mound, then make a well in the center.
• 2 add butter and lemon extract to well.
• 3 using your fingers, work flour-nut mixture into butter until dough resembles coarse meal.
• 4 sprinkle milk over dough, knead until smooth, and shape into a ball.
• 5 cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• 6 preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
• 7 sift remaining confectioners' sugar and vanilla sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.
• 8 divide dough into 16 equal pieces.
• 9 using your hands, roll each piece of dough out on a clean surface into 3/4 inch thick ropes.
• 10 cut ropes crosswise into 2-1/2 inch pieces, then gently pinch ends to round off edges.
• 11 shape pieces of dough into small crescents and transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
• 12 bake until goiden around edges, 12-14 minutes.
• 13 allow cookies to cool for 1 minute then transfer a few at a time to bowl of sugar and coat well.
• 14 transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.
• 15 cookies may be stored in airtight containers for up to 1 week.