Recipe: Lemon-Pine Nut Crescents

Lemon-Pine Nut Crescents

Makes about 32 cookies

Here's a twist on a classic buttery shortbread cookie, from local cookbook author Lisa Yockelson.

This dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking The cookies can be stored between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon extract

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (but still liquid)

6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus about 3 cups, for dusting

5 tablespoons finely chopped pine nuts, plus about 1/2 cup pine nuts

Center a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the lemon zest and lemon extract in a small nonreactive bowl. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use a spatula to combine the melted butter, 6 tablespoons of the confectioners' sugar and the lemon mixture. Add the chopped pine nuts and half of the flour mixture, stirring to combine, then add the remaining flour mixture and mix well. Using your hands, roll level-tablespoon chunks of dough into smooth, thick logs, then shape into stubby crescents. Place the crescents, spaced 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup pine nuts, gently pressing a few into each crescent. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 15 minutes or until gently firm and set. Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.

Place the remaining 3 cups of confectioners' sugar in a wide, shallow bowl. Carefully coat the cooled cookies.

Per cookie: 117 calories, 1 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 4 g saturated fat, 18 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Jill Grisco; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com