Macadamia Crescents

By norsegal8

These not-overly-sweet cookies, traditionally shaped into crescents, were inspired by a recipe from my longtime friend and former baking colleague Jack Lirio. Besides savoring these cookies' nutty flavor, you will be reminded by their texture of the best short crust you ever tasted.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 ounces macadamia nuts, finely ground to yield about 1 1/2 cups
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

Step 1

1. Dough: In a medium bowl, blend the flour, ground nuts and salt briefly with a wire whisk; set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter at medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the granulated sugar at medium speed until well combined and slightly fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Lower the speed and gradually add the nuts and flour, and mix just until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

2. Refrigerate the dough, tightly covered, in a bowl. Chill for about 1 hour or until it is partially firm but not solid, to make handling easier.

3. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. . Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Divide the chilled dough into several portions, each about ¼ cup. With floured fingertips, roll each portion back and forth on the work surface to shape ropes about ½ inch in diameter. If dough is difficult to shape, lightly flour the work surface. Cut each roll into uniform 1-inch lengths. With fingertips, shape into crescents with slightly tapered ends, and space ½ inch apart on the baking sheets.

5. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are no longer shiny and their shape is set. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack. Sift the powdered sugar over the cookies while warm.

6. When completely cool, lift the cookies with a metal spatula to an airtight container.