Vanille Kipferl ("The Moons")

These cookies have been in my family longer than I can even remember. But what I do remember is oh how sugary and lovely these cookies are! I used to refer to them as "The Moons", because they are shaped like little moons. However, the correct pronunciation for the cookies are Vanille Kipferl originating all the way from a small, peaceful country known as Switzerland. These are definitely a crowd pleaser, for they are my dad's favorite, my sister's favorite, my neighbor's favorite, as well as my favorite! I mean what is not to resist?! This cookie is not only made with sugar, but coated with loads and loads of little white crystals known as calories, oh wait I meant sugar.

The little moons are absolutely scrumptious! They are soft and loaded with SUGAR. The textures are so magnified from tasting the pure crystals of the sugar, and the lightly packed cookie that breaks so gently and softly in ones mouth as the butter and sugar melt off the tongue. This is a great holiday cookie, because somehow it tends to bring friends and family happily together. These will be the talk of the town, because they are so different considering most people would never dare to add pure sugar right on top of an already sugared dessert. This is one recipe your stomach will have to splurge on, for it is far worth it.

Ingredients:

2.5 sticks of butter (cold)

3/4 cups sugar

1 cup almonds peeled and ground

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

LETS COOK!

With electric mixer beat butter until little pieces. With wooden spoon, stir in sugar almonds, flour, and vanilla. Work with the dough with your hands and try to blend all the butter into the dough. Form a ball of dough and chill for a few hours. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough and then take section of dough and form moon shapes with hands. Place on cookie sheet and bake at about 375 or a little less in fahrenheit for about 10 min, or until light color and look ready. (This is a cookie you need to use your gut instinct. Also, sometimes these can be a total flop and you just have to get "lucky", therefore only bake a few at a time until u know you have your oven just right and the time just right before baking the rest of the batch.) When they are still warm, roll them and coat them entirely with pure sugar!!!!

*Special thanks to Marianne Messmer*