1/4    Vanilla bean
1 c  Confectioners sugar
1 c  Walnut meats
1 c  Butter; at room temperature
3/4 c  Granulated sugar
2 1/2 c  Flour, all-purpose, sifted

1. Chop the vanilla bean. Pound it in a mortar or pulverize it in an
electric blender with about one tablespoon of the sugar. Mix with the
remaining confectioners sugar. Cover and let stand, preferably overnight.
Reserve while cookies are baked.

2. Preheat the oven to moderate (350 F).

3. Cut the walnuts with a sharp knife into very small pieces. Pound the
pieces to a paste, using a mortar and pestle.

4. With a wooden spoon or the fingers, mix the walnuts, butter, granulated
sugar and flour to a smooth dough. shape the dough, about a teaspoon at a
time, into small crescents, about one and one-half inches in diameter.

5. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet until slightly browned, or 15 to 18
minutes. Cool one minute. While still warm, roll the cookies in the
prepared vanilla sugar.