Cardamom Walnut Crescents Food

CARDAMOM-WALNUT CRESCENTS

Steps:

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

CARDAMOM-WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom in large bowl. Mix 1/2 teaspoon cardamom and powdered sugar in medium bowl. Set mixtures aside.
• Combine remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom, butter, vanilla extract, lemon peel and salt in another large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat at medium-high speed until well blended. Add flour and chopped nuts. Beat until smooth dough forms, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Gather dough into ball and wrap in plastic; chill 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Using hands and generous 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie, roll dough into forty-eight 3/4-inch balls; transfer to baking sheets. Bake cookies until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on sheets.
• Add 12 warm cookies to large bowl of granulated sugar and cardamom and toss gently to coat. Repeat with 12 more cookies. Let remaining 24 cookies cool completely on sheet. Sift powdered sugar and cardamom mixture over. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container.)

CARDAMOM WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix 1/2 teaspoon cardamom and powdered sugar in medium bowl.
• Set mixture aside.
• Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom, butter, vanilla extract, lemon peel and salt in another large bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat at medium-high speed until well blended.
• Add flour and chopped nuts.
• Beat until dough forms, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic, chill 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Using hands and generous 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie, roll dough into 48 3/4-inch balls; transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Bake cookies until golden, about 25 minutes.
• Sift powdered sugar and cardamom mixture over warm cookies, turn to coat well.
• Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container.

WALNUT-CARDAMOM CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lower rack until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool completely. Pulse the nuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add the flour and pulse to combine; set aside.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, the vanilla, cardamom and salt; beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the walnut-flour mixture until just incorporated. Cover the dough and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place the remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl; set aside. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into thin crescents and arrange 1 inch apart on 2 unlined baking sheets.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are golden on the bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then carefully transfer to the bowl of confectioners? sugar and gently roll to coat. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, then reroll in the confectioners? sugar.