These little moon shaped cookies smothered in a coat of frosty looking powdered sugar are just the epitomy of Christmas. I know all my Christmas cookie posts are late, just think of them as posted well in advance for next year.

These little white morsels with their delicate almond flavour are always the first to go when I put a plate of Christmas cookies out. They are best eaten the day they are made, and everyone seems more than happy to make sure there aren’t any left. This is another of the batches of cookies that Leah and I made together on Christmas Eve.

I don’t honestly remember where on the vast internet I found the recipe for these originally. My apologies to the original author, I like to give credit where it’s due. I have adapted it a little since I found the original recipe a little on the dry side, and difficult to shape. There is a bit of a technique to shaping these cookies. Leah was ready to give up after her first one turned out looking more like a deformed sausage, but after a few tries she had the technique down beautifully.

Viennese Crescents

• 1/2 cup of ground almonds
• 1/2 cup of icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1/2 cup of softened butter (it’s important that it is soft)
• 1 1/2 tspns vanilla extract
• 1 tspn almond extract
• 1 cup of flour
• 1-2 tspns cold water
• pinch of salt
• Icing sugar for coating

Beat together butter, almonds and icing sugar until just combined

Add in the extracts and mix gently

Add in the flour and salt and mix until the dough starts to come together. Add the water to make a dough that holds together. Do not be tempted to knead the dough it will make the cookies tough.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with parchment.

To shape

Take a piece of dough that is slightly larger than a walnut and roll into a ball. Roll the ball into a log shape putting slightly more pressure on the ends to make the log wider in the middle and narrower at the ends. You do not want to make the logs too narrow on the ends or they will burn. Curve into a crescent shape and place on the tray. Leave them a little room to expand.

Bake for about 10 minutes and remove when light golden on the ends. While they are hot, roll in icing sugar to coat. You can give them another coat of icing sugar if you like when they have cooled slightly.

These elegant little cookies are also called Vanillekipferl. They are common in Germany and Hungary although they originated in Vienna. They look so pretty sitting on a plate, and are really very simple to make. Next time you are having an afternoon tea for “ladies” try making some of these as a different addition to your cookie plate.

Please excuse my un-ironed tablecloth in the pics - it was Christmas Eve after all and I had to help Santa with some stuff.

Roughly seven years ago I bought some aniseed, and then had no idea what to make with it. So I searched around online and found this recipe for these little Christmas cookies. I have made them every Christmas since then. I love the spicy aniseed taste combined with the ever so slight lemon flavour.

Over the years I have adjusted the recipe, since I felt initially the dough was too soft and sticky to roll out well, and I like a stronger aniseed flavour than the original recipe suggested.

Having done a little more reading since then, I know that the recipe for these cookies is not strictly speaking - authentic. The originals are made with lard (these are made with butter) and they normally do not have lemon, but either a sweet wine or sherry in them. However this slightly altered version is still completely worth making. They are the official state cookie of New Mexico, and are often served at celebrations, particularly Christmas.

This recipe makes quite a large number, so often I’ll make up the whole quantity of dough and then just bake half of it, and freeze the other half to make up later. It makes roughly 55 cookies.

Lemon Bizcochitos

• 3 cups of flour
• 1 tspn baking powder
• 11/2 cups of sugar
• 200 grams/8 oz of butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tspns of lemon juice
• 2 tspns aniseed crushed
• 1 tspn finely grated lemon zest
• cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl set aside

Beat 1 1/2 cups of sugar and the butter together in another bowl until pale and creamy.

Add eggs, lemon juice, aniseed and lemon peel and mix. Add in the dry ingredients.

Place in plastic wrap and flatten into a disc and chill until firm enough to roll out. This will be roughly 2 hours or so.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and prepare a baking tray with parchment.

Roll out the dough to 3-4 mm/1/8th of an inch thick and cut into shapes with a cutter, place on the tray with a little room to spread and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for roughly 12 minutes until just starting to turn golden on the edges.

Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container. These little cookies keep well and stay crisp for a long time.

These lovely little cookies have become a Christmas tradition in our house, but I do make them at times other than Christmas, because they are just too good to be eaten only once a year.

Just a photo today, since I am enjoying the day with my family.

Ryan gave Isaac Slime for Christmas…….