These delicate cookies won Anne Marie Reband second place in the 1998 contest. Reband said the recipe is her grandmother's, and she unexpectedly found it in her file box a few years after she passed away.
- Chilling time: 2 hours or overnight
- Yield: 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1/2 Cup solid shortening
- 1/3 Cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 Cups finely chopped walnuts
- 12/3 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup confectioners' sugar plus more for sprinkling
- 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Beat butter, shortening and granulated sugar in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in nuts. Add flour and salt; beat on low until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate two hours or overnight.
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1/2-inch thick rope; cut into 2-inch lengths. Form dough into crescents; place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until set but not browned, 14 to 16 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on sheet; remove to wire rack. Sift together confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. Dip cookies into mixture while still warm; cool completely. Sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.