Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups walnut pieces
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup tapioca starch (tapioca flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 T grade A dark amber maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preparing the cookies:
Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until the consistency of coarse cornmeal (20 2-second pulses). In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, tapioca and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, add the butter and sugar and blend until smooth. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, using the paddle attachment on your mixer, at slow speed. Once the mixture has pulled together, mix at a slightly higher speed to fully incorporate the ingredients. Finally, add the walnuts and mix briefly to combine. Roll the dough into ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 1/2 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Measure 1 tablespoon of the dough into your hand, roll into a log with tapered ends and shape into a crescent. Repeat with remaining dough. Arrange the cookies, about 1-inch apart, on the baking sheets. Bake just until the bottom edges start to turn golden, about 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack until completely cool, about 20 minutes.

Put the confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl, and dredge the cookies, 1 at a time, tapping off excess sugar.

Variation: Add 1 teaspoon of good quality cinnamon, and 1 cup of mini chocolate morsels to the dough. The confectioners' sugar can also be flavored by sifting it with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Makes about 5 1/2 dozen cookies