Cardamom-Walnut Crescents

Adapted from Luane Kohnke after a recipe in “Cookies and Biscotti: Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library” by Kristine Kidd

Time: 40 minutes

FOR THE DOUGH:

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup shelled walnuts

1/4 pound unsalted butter, chilled and cut in to 1/2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the vanilla sugar:

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 vanilla bean.

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all dough ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the dough resembles coarse meal. Then process continuously until it begins to gather together.

2. Roll 2 teaspoons dough at a time into half moon shapes. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake until firm to touch, about 18 to 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the vanilla sugar ingredients in a food processor until the vanilla bean is pulverized.

4. When cookies are done, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack. Sift the vanilla sugar over them immediately. Continue cooling for 15 minutes. The cookies may be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies.