Viennese Crescent Cookies
 Delicate half-moon cookies that look like they’ve been covered in a blanket of fresh snow, crescent cookies are a classic Viennese treat—perfect for the holidays. Ingredients 1¾ cups all-purpose flour ⅔ cup finely sifted/super-fine almond flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ⅛ teaspoon almond extract 1 cup confectioners' sugar, for coating 1¾ cups all-purpose flour ⅔ cup finely sifted/super-fine almond flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ⅛ teaspoon almond extract 1 cup confectioners' sugar, for coating Instructions In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add dry the ingredients and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it's firm enough to be easily handled. Preheat oven to 350°F and set two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. For each cookie, use about 2 teaspoons of dough and shape it into a 2-inch long log. Gently bend each log into a crescent shape. (If the dough is crumbly after chilling for more than the recommended time, knead it slightly with your hands to make it more pliable.) Space the crescents about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies are pale on top and lightly golden on the bottom. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a small fine sieve, dust the cookies all over with confectioners' sugar. (Alternatively, you can gently roll the cookies in the confectioners' sugar until coated.) Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Dust the cookies again with confectioners' sugar before serving. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Shape the dough into crescents, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze the cookies after baking, let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add dry the ingredients and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it's firm enough to be easily handled. Preheat oven to 350°F and set two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. For each cookie, use about 2 teaspoons of dough and shape it into a 2-inch long log. Gently bend each log into a crescent shape. (If the dough is crumbly after chilling for more than the recommended time, knead it slightly with your hands to make it more pliable.) Space the crescents about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies are pale on top and lightly golden on the bottom. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a small fine sieve, dust the cookies all over with confectioners' sugar. (Alternatively, you can gently roll the cookies in the confectioners' sugar until coated.) Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Dust the cookies again with confectioners' sugar before serving. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Shape the dough into crescents, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze the cookies after baking, let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.