The crecent shape has been popular in baking since time began. Just as the Christmas tree was taken from a pagan symbol of a green tree in winter which was drawn and made a part of winter decoration in hope for a quick and warm Spring to that would make for good seed planting. Before we relied on science many folks relied on rituals and good luck symbols. 3 of the earliest were a circle: for the sun, and the crecent moons that were symbols for different gods and good luck.

Directions: Gather your ingredients and measure them out. It is nice to soften the butter by leaving it at room temperature for an hour. Not shown here is vanilla sugar that we will be using to dust the Kipferl or Crecents with. Cream the butter Then beat powdered sugar gradually into butter until light and creamy. Add and beat in the egg yolk. You may be asking can I add the whole egg, why just the yolk? People add just the yolk for more tenderness. The whites will give it more structure. If I am mailing these cookies I will use the whole egg. Stir in the flour and add the chopped almonds, also the vanilla extract. I chill the dough for an hour or even overnight. If the cookie dough feels too dry to make your crecents then add a bit of butter to moisten. If it is too crumbly add an egg white too it. Pre Heat Oven to 375 degrees I form the cookie dough into a brick and then cut off slices and roll them. For uniformity you may want to weigh the cookies. I made these 4 tenths of an ounce. Roll the cookies into crecent shapes as shown. I ofen make a very slight curve because I am shipping them. The traditional ones I see in Austria or Germany are a more pronounced curve. (If you don't have a crescent shaped cookie cutter, you might use a round one and cut the circles in half. These would then be “Half-Moon” cookies.)   Pinch the ends to get a nice point. Here is the more pronounced curve Bake on a greased tin in a moderate oven, 375 degrees for 15 - 20 min. Let them cool a bit and then we will add the vanilla sugar. The more rounded shape. . Roll or dust the cookies in the sugar

A recipe book and short biography of my Grandmother Emma Block. Her recipes, culture and cooking styles that were brought over from Germany. How they evolved when she came to America in the early 1900s and settled in Portland, Oregon on the west coast of the United States. Over 100 recipes

Bonus Recipe CD with the Ebook and recipes with step by step pictures

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Biography of my grandma
Emma Block
From Germany with Love tells the story of my grandma, Emma Block, growing up in a little town in Baden/ Würtemberg, Germany near Heidelberg named Steinsfurt. Then at the age of 15 immigrating to the United States, taking a train with one of her sisters and brothers to Hamburg and sailing the Atlantic with other hope filled Germans wanting to make a life in the "New World". It was not easy but with good values learned in her German upbringing made a full life, had a wonderful family with lots of fun and celebration including the great German meals.

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