- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) parve margarine, cut into tablespoons
- Dash of salt
- 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
- 2 large egg yolks, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cold water plus 1/2 tablespoon water, divided
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the flour, margarine, salt and 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse about seven times, or until the mixture looks like sand. You can also do this by hand in a large bowl with two knives or a pastry cutter. Add 1 egg yolk, the vanilla, orange blossom water, if using, and the tablespoon of cold water. Process or mix just until the dough comes together.
- Place a large piece of parchment on the counter and grease lightly using the paper or foil wrapper that wrapped the margarine. Dump the dough onto the greased parchment and, using a rolling pin, roll into a large circle, about 9 inches in diameter.
- To decorate the edge of the cookie, using the flat end of the handle of a wooden spoon, or the tip of your index finger, make indentations one after the other all around the outside of the circle.
- Whisk together the remaining egg yolk with the 1/2 tablespoon of water. Brush the top of the cookie with egg wash. Using the tines of a fork, make one set of lines straight across the top of the cookie. Make another set about 2 inches below the first. Repeat until you have four to five sets of lines. Now slide the parchment a quarter turn to the right and make four to five additional sets of lines, each about 2 inches apart. The new set of lines should cross the first set of lines on an angle, creating a diamond-shaped grid.
- Sprinkle the top of the cookie with the remaining teaspoon of sugar. Slide the parchment onto a cookie sheet and bake for 35 to 37 minutes, until the edges start to look golden. Remove from the oven and immediately cut the cookie into 8 or 12 large wedges or about eighteen 1 x 3-inch bars, if you like. If you wait until the cookie cools to cut it, you will not get nice clean edges.