Vanilla Kipferl ‘Almond Cresent Cookies (Holland America)

2 1/8 cups of flour, sieved

7/8 cup of butter, softened

1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar

1 egg

3 teaspoons of vanilla sugar

1 1/4 cup of almonds, ground

Pinch of salt

To make your own vanilla sugar: Place 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar and place in pint jar. Put a clean vanilla bean in the jar, cover and shake well. Let stand for a few days, shaking the jar occasionally, before using the sugar. As you use the sugar, replace with fresh sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt and the flour. Cut in the butter and mix in with your hands. Add the confectioners sugar, egg, vanilla sugar and the ground almonds to the flour mixture and knead to a dough. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into several parts. Make rolls that are approximately 1 inch thick. Cut the rolls into 1 inch pieces, and bend the pieces into the shape of a semicircle. Place the Kipferl on a lined baking tray and leave them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Bake at 400 F for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cool down to room temperature. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and carefully remove from the tray.