VANILLA CRESCENTS

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position one rack in the upper third and one in the lower third. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with ½ cup of the confectioners’ sugar until pale white, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and beat at low speed just until combined.

On a lightly floured surface, roll level tablespoons of the dough into 3-inch ropes. Taper the ends slightly and form the ropes into crescents. Carefully transfer the crescents to the baking sheets, placing them about ½ inch apart.

Bake the crescents for 22 to 24 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and the tops are pale blond; shift the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through for even baking. Trans- fer the baking sheets to racks and let cookies cool for 10 minutes.

Fill a small bowl with confectioners’ sugar. While the cookies are still warm, coat them in the sugar and transfer to a clean sheet of parchment paper to cool slightly. Roll the cooled cookies in the sugar again and let cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper for up to 1 week. Dust the cookies very slightly with confectioners’ sugar before serving. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

— From Cindy Mushet in Food and Wine magazine