| 1 | Preparation time: 45 minutes cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes |
| 2 | Cream butter and confectioners" sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. |
| 3 | Beat in egg yolks. |
| 4 | Beat in flour and 1 c ground nuts until mixed. |
| 5 | (dough can be refrigerated up to several days; soften slightly before shaping cookies). |
| 6 | Heat oven to 350 degrees. |
| 7 | Have ungreased baking sheets ready. |
| 8 | For topping, beat egg whites lightly with fork in shallow dish until frothy. |
| 9 | Mix 1 cup nuts and granulated sugar in separate shallow dish. |
| 10 | Roll a generous teaspoon of the dough in the palm of your hands into a crescent shape. |
| 11 | Dip top of crescent in egg white and then into nut-sugar mixture. |
| 12 | Place crescents on baking sheets about 1 inch apart. |
| 13 | Bake until bottoms are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. |
| 14 | Cool on pan a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. |
| 15 | Sprinkle lightly with confectioners" sugar before serving. |
| 16 | this winning recipe is from mila tomisek of chicago. |
| 17 | She prefers to use unsalted butter, but says margarine can be substituted. |
| 18 | The cookies are very fragile. |
| 19 | 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 |
