Instructions: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat). In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine confectioners sugar and almonds. Process until finely ground. Add flour and salt, and pulse to combine.

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod. Add to the flour mixture. (Reserve the bean for the dusting sugar.) Add the butter a few pieces at a time. Quickly pulse to combine. Do not overprocess. The mixture should resemble coarse meal.

Place the reserved vanilla bean on the prepared baking sheet, and let dry out in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the dough to a clean work surface. Blend the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand. Gather it up with a bench scraper, and continue this process until the dough will peel easily from the work surface in one piece.

Divide dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a cylinder 5/8-inch in diameter and about 22 inches long. Cut each log into pieces about 3 inches long. Curve each piece into a crescent, and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

While the cookies are baking, cut the reserved dried vanilla bean into small pieces. Place in the bowl of the food processor, fitted with the metal blade, with the remaining cup confectioners sugar. Process until well mixed, about one minute. Sift the sugar into a small mixing bowl to remove any large pieces of the vanilla bean.

Remove the cookies to a rack to cool. After the cookies have cooled 5 minutes, gently toss warm cookies in vanilla sugar to coat. Remove to a rack to cool completely. Once cooled, dust again with remaining powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

This recipe yields about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.