Makes 3 dozen cookies, to fit on one flat stainless steel cookie sheet. I would normally make twice as much, people like them a lot.
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup shelled walnuts
- 1/4 pound unsalted butter, chilled and cut in to 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
and or the vanilla sugar:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 vanilla bean.
- 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.