C is for Cookie, and Courage, and Crescent City

C is for cookie, crescent city, carnival, and courage—respect and laud to all the women and men who joined in the important march this weekend. Saturday was a beautiful day for a protest in New Orleans, and I was heartened by the company of some 15,000 re(sisters) who together, in a procession two miles long, held fists high in peaceful dissent.

Carnivale Almond Crescents

Adapted from Food and Wine

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract (thank you Penzeys, for this, and for supporting women)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups almond flour

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter with the granulated sugar and salt at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in both extracts. Reduce the speed to low and add both flours, mixing until just combined. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

Scoop 12 rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, roll each ball into a 4-inch rope, then shape into a crescent; return to the baking sheet. If the dough gets too soft, refrigerate until firm. Bake the cookies, rotating the sheet halfway through baking, until lightly browned around the edges, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

Sift the 1 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar into a shallow bowl. Dredge the warm cookies in the confectioners’ sugar; return to the rack and let cool completely. Repeat the baking and dredging with the remaining dough. Dust the cookies with additional confectioners’ sugar before serving.