Transfer the almonds to a blender (you can roast them in advance to give the cookies that little extra touch) and blendb them into a fine crumble. Then pour this crumble on a plate and put it aside until later.

Add the soft butter, plain flour, icing sugar and vanilla sugar (optional) to the blender now. Season with a little pinch of salt.

Add the almond crumble and blend a few times more.

Blend quickly. Remove the cookie dough from the blender using a spatula and transfer it onto a clean surface.

Knead the dough. Add extra flour if the dough is too sticky. Knead the dough for couple of minutes. Divide it into even portions. I made 1 oz (30 g) portions. Shape the portions into flat discs or crescents.

Place them onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 356° (180°C) for 15 to 20 minutes until they start to brown. Remove the cookies from the oven (careful, they are fragile) and let them cool down. Sprinkle generously with extra icing sugar and serve.