VIENNESE VANILLA CRESCENTS

VIENNESE VANILLA CRESCENTS image

Yield 100 Cookies

Number Of Ingredients 6

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3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) cold unsalted butter, cut into 24 pieces
1 cup hazelnuts, ground fine in an electric coffee or spice grinder
2 cups vanilla confectioners' sugar

Steps:

In a food processor or bowl blend together the flour, the plain confectioners' sugar, and the salt, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it forms a dough. Add the hazelnuts and blend the dough well. Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, and chill it, wrapped in wax paper, for at least 2 hours or overnight. Roll walnut-size pieces of the dough on a smooth surface into ropes about 1/3 inch thick, cut the ropes into 2 1/2-inch lengths, and roll the ends lightly to narrow them. Bend the lengths to form crescents, arrange the crescents about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets, and bake them in batches in the middle of a preheated 350° F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are pale golden. While each batch of the crescents is baking, sift enough of the vanilla confectioners' sugar into a jelly-roll pan to cover the bottom. While the crescents are still warm, transfer them carefully with a metal spatula to the pan and sift some of the remaining vanilla confectioners' sugar over them. Let the cookies cool completely before transferring them to storage tins.