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1
For the cookies: Put flour, butter, nuts, the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and almond extracts in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together until thoroughly blended and no traces of dry ingredients remain. Shape the dough into a ball.
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2
Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
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3
Meanwhile, make the vanilla sugar: With a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod and set the seeds aside. Then cut the pod into 2-inch pieces.
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4
Combine the vanilla bean seeds and pod pieces with 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar in a food processor bowl and blend on high for about 8 seconds. Combine with the remaining powdered sugar in a large bowl, and set aside.
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5
Preheat oven to 375 F.
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6
Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough, and roll into a 3-inch-long rope. Repeat, and place ropes about 2 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet, curving them to make them look like small crescents.
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7
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown.
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8
While the cookies are still warm, roll in the vanilla sugar, coating all sides. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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9
Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll again in the vanilla sugar before serving.
