German Almond Crescent Cookies

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter (softened, room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Optional: 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup almonds (blanched, ground; or 1 cup of almond meal)

2 1/4 cups flour (all-purpose)

Garnish: powdered sugar (or granulated vanilla sugar for dusting)

Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, with the help of a hand whisk or standing mixer, cream the powdered sugar and butter until the mixture is fluffy.
Add the vanilla, and the almond extract and cinnamon if using. Mix well.
Add the salt. Combine thoroughly.
With the help of a spatula, mix in the almond meal and flour.
Using your hands, knead the mixture, which should be stiff and hard to work with.
On a lightly floured board or other work surface and with a well-floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch thick
Cut a circle with a biscuit cutter or round glass.
Move the glass or cutter over about 1 inch or more and cut another circle, which will result in two crescent shapes and an oval shape in the middle.
Reuse the oval scraps, knead them, and roll out the dough again to cut more crescents or bake the ovals as they are if you’d prefer. Repeat the process until you’ve used all of the dough.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place the crescents on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. The edges of the cookies should just be golden; keep an eye on the cookies as they brown fast and what you want is a pale and just-baked consistency through.
Remove the cookies from the oven and, while still warm, dust them with powdered sugar or vanilla sugar and place on a rack to cool completely. As they cool the consistency and bite will change.