A moon-shaped German Christmas biscuit.
Ingredients
300g flour
250g unsalted butter, cold
125g castor sugar
3 egg yolks
125g blanched almonds, finely ground
2 to 3 sachets vanilla sugar* (150-250g)
*Vanilla sugar is available in sachets at continental delicatessens, or make your own: bury a pod or two in a 2-cup container of sugar.
Method
Sift flour onto bench, cut butter into small cubes and add to the flour. Add sugar, make a well in the centre and add yolks and then almonds. Bring together with your hands and work into a smooth dough for a few minutes. Roll into a ball and cover with cling-wrap. Rest in the fridge for an hour.
Preheat oven to 175C.
Break off small pieces of the dough, about 60g each, and roll into 10cm-long pieces with the ends slightly tapered. Bend into crescent shapes. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and bake for about 15 minutes. They should be very lightly golden but not brown.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool a little. Roll in the vanilla sugar while still hot (when they are cool, the sugar will not stick properly).