Half Moon Holiday Cookies
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Traditionally baked around the holidays, this Northern Italian cookie, is made for coffee or tea breaks with family and friends. Mattia Agazzi, the chef de cuisine of Gucci Osteria in Beverly Hills says that his family comes together at the dining table to have coffee, eat the cookies, share stories and reflect on the year that’s passed and the year ahead. Made with almond flour and shaped like a half moon and rolled in a vanilla bean-flavoured sugar when still warm from the oven, it’s near impossible to eat just one. Mattia says you can twist the flavour of the sugar coating to preference: with cinnamon, lemon zest, ginger or nutmeg.

Ingredients:
150g all purpose flour
60g almond flour
120g unsalted butter at room temperature
60g granulated sugar
3 egg yolks (around 45g)

Vanilla- sugar mix:
100g granulated sugar
1 fresh vanilla bean

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix by hand all ingredients until very well combined. If you have a mixer you can simply combine your ingredients and mix them with the paddle attachment.

2. Once your dough is perfectly mixed, shape it into a rough log and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.

3. Line your baking pans with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350'F.

4. Using a little knife cut the vanilla bean down the middle, lengthwise, creating two long halves. Take the back side of the knife now and scrape out your vanilla seeds. Add this to the granulated sugar and mix it thoroughly until aromatic. Pass through a sieve and set aside.

5. Roll the chilled dough into a log (about 1/2 inch thick) Cut it into small pieces and form them into small cylinders. Taper the ends into dull points and bend it into a crescent shape. Place them on the baking pan and bake for 10-12 min. Once the tips start to get golden brown, take them out. Sprinkle or dip them in your vanilla-sugar mixture while hot, and let them cool down. Store in an air tight container or cookie tin for up to 2 weeks.