1990 1st Place: Nut Crescents

2 c Unsalted softened butter or

-margarine 6 tb Confectioners` sugar

2 Egg yolks

4 c Flour, sifted before

Measuring 1 c Ground or finely crushed

Almonds, pecans or walnuts Mmmmm--------------- ------------topping---- -- � --------------------------- 2 Egg whites

1 c Ground or finely crushed

Almonds, pecans or walnuts 1/2 c Granulated sugar

Confectioners` sugar for Sprinkling

1. Cream butter and confectioners` sugar in large mixer bowl until

light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Beat in flour and 1 c ground nuts until mixed. (Dough can be refrigerated up to several days; soften slightly before shaping cookies.) 2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have ungreased baking sheets ready.

3. For topping, beat egg whites lightly with fork in shallow dish

until frothy. Mix 1 cup nuts and granulated sugar in separate shallow dish. 4. Roll a generous teaspoon of the dough in the palm of your hands

into a crescent shape. Dip top of crescent in egg white and then into nut-sugar mixture. Place crescents on baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake until bottoms are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on pan a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners` sugar before serving. This winning recipe is from Mila Tomisek of Chicago. She prefers to use unsalted butter, but says margarine can be substituted. The cookies are very fragile. Mila first began baking these small, buttery, crescent-shaped cookies with her grandmother during World War I; today, at 82, she still bakes them for her children and grandchildren. from the Chicago Tribune third annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest December 13, 1990 -----