Christmas cookies all year round!

Well, you'll be able to use the cookie recipes I'm about to post for Christmas '14! Or just whenever you like, because these cookies are de-li-cious!

My sister helped me with this year's Christmas baking, which was a first. I made the dough, and she did the rest :3

This is the first time I'll be trying to add cup measurements as well, if anything is false, blame the Internet, not me!

Vanillekipferl
280g (1 ½ cup) flour
200g (7 ounces) butter
100g (¾ cup) ground walnuts (you can substitute for almonds, although the cookies will be dryer)
80g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar
additional powdered sugar and vanilla sugar

Quickly mix together the ingredients to form a dough (yes, just throw everything together), wrap it in clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge for about two hours.
Preheat your oven to 170°C (338°F).
Form the Kipferl by rolling pieces of dough between your hands (or on the table) and put them on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Bake about 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
Sprinkle powdered- and vanilla sugar over the cookies while they're still warm.
Let them cool and then stuff your face.

Zimtsterne
250g ( 2 cups + 1 tbsp) flour
125g (1 stick) butter
125g (1 cup + 1 tsp) powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
125g (1 cup) ground hazelnuts
additional flour for rolling out the dough
powdered sugar and lemon juice for the icing

Quickly mix together the ingredients to form a dough (once again, just throw everything together), wrap it in clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F).
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out stars. (Yes, you can see a few snails in the picture, it was a joke because Zimtschnecke (cinnamon snail) is the German word for cinnamon roll)
Place cookies on parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
After the cookies have cooled completely, mix powdered sugar with a bit of lemon juice, and either cover the entire top of the cookie, or just drizzle some over it.
Now stuff your face.

Fortune Cookies
2 egg whites
½ tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar)
3tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
60g (½ cup) flour
1 ½ tsp cornstarch or potato starch
dash salt
115g (½ cup) sugar
3 tsp water
optional: food colouring

Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F).
In a medium bowl, lightly whisk together the egg whites, vanilla extract and oil.
Sift in the flour, starch, sugar and salt and add water.
Beat until you have a smooth batter.
Now you can either leave it at that, or divide the batter between bowls and dye them all a different colour.
Drop a spoonful of batter onto a greased cookie sheet, then spread the batter with your spoon. Repeat one more time. (Start with 2 cookies, and once you've got the hang of it, you can do more)
You can now decorate the cookies like you would normally do with royal icing.
I folded my own little piping bags and made polka dots and stripes, but there really is no limit to what you can do :3 Just remember that you'll be folding them, so maybe don't paint Mona Lisa, because she won't be recognisable.
Bake the cookies for 14 minutes, or until the edges turn golden, and the cookie is easily removable with a spatula.
Take a cookie, and flip it over. Lay your fortune or message onto the cookie, then fold it in half. Quickly, but gently, pull the edges of the cookie over a mug or glass, then put it into a cup of a cupcake tin, so it won't lose its shape.
Yes, the cookies will be hot.
Really hot.
Ouch.