Cardamom Crescents

It is nearly impossible for me to say what is my personal favorite cookie (as I have so many), but this ranks up in the top 10. Cardamom crescents make a great snack with afternoon tea or coffee. They have an aromatic fragrance that borders on spicy flowers and the taste is slightly peppery. Cardamom is a common ingredient in Indian cooking, and is often used in baking in Nordic countries. The New York Times published my version of this recipe in the 2009 and 2010 Dining Section feature on Holiday Cookies.

Cardamom Crescents
Makes about 2 dozen
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½” pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
pinch of salt
Vanilla sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine all ingredients except vanilla sugar in a food processor. Pulse on-off, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Then process continuously until the dough begins to gather.

Roll 2 teaspoons of dough into half moon shapes. Arrange on ungreased baking sheet spacing 1 “ apart
Bake until firm to touch, about 18-20 minutes Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack.

Sprinkle vanilla sugar immediately after transferring to rack.
Store in airtight container for up to 5 days.