The month of Nisan, which begins at sundown on Friday, April 5 this year, is actually the first month of the year on the Jewish lunar calendar — a fact that might surprise those who figured it for Rosh Hashanah time. On the first day of Nisan more than three millennia ago, God is said to have shown Moses the crescent moon while giving him instructions about the setting of the Jewish calendar.

So let’s celebrate the rise of Nisan’s sliver of a moon with this trio of crescent treats, although their shape certainly would make them appropriate for celebrating any new moon.

The cookies were inspired by a recipe passed down to me by my husband’s late aunt Lee, whose original creations, Almond Crescents, were perfect for a dunk in a glass of tea. My Almond Moons are softer, have a less-defined shape and taste more almond-y. The Lunar Eclipses are Almond Moons partially coated in chocolate, while the dairy-free and gluten-free Crescents with Almond Butter have a hearty taste and texture.

Almond Moons

Makes about 20

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, divided (sifted if lumpy)
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. almond or hazelnut extract
• ¾ cup flour plus extra as needed
• ¼ cup finely ground raw almonds or almond meal
• ½ cup chopped raw almonds

Using an electric mixer on high, beat butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, sugar, salt and extract until light and fluffy. Mix in flour and ground and chopped almonds on medium speed. Press and roll dough into ball, wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into fourths. On lightly floured work surface, shape/roll into ropes ½ inch in diameter. Slice into 2-inch segments. Shape into crescents on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Cool. Sprinkle with remaining powdered sugar.

Lunar Eclipses: Do not sprinkle cooled cookies with powdered sugar. Instead, melt 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips with 1½ Tbs. vegetable oil in heatproof bowl over boiling water (or in microwave). Hold cookie above chocolate bowl. For a black-and-white cookie, spoon chocolate over bottom half of cookie, coating only the top and side. Gently shake cookie to return excess chocolate to the bowl. Place cookie on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies. Chill until chocolate sets. Remove from refrigerator and serve.

Aunt Lee’s original recipe: Beat butter and ¼ cup powdered sugar with electric mixer on high until light and fluffy. Beat in ½ tsp. almond extract. On medium speed, mix in 1 cup flour and ½ cup chopped raw almonds. Press/roll into ball, wrap and chill 1 hour. Shape as in Almond Moons and bake 18 to 20 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with ¼ cup powdered sugar. Makes about 18 cookies.

Crescents with Almond Butter

Makes about 26

• ½ cup crunchy almond butter with salt, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1 tsp. almond or hazelnut extract
• 1 Tbs. oil plus extra for baking sheets
• 1 Tbs. plus ¼ cup almond milk
• ¼ cup finely ground raw almonds
• 1 cup gluten-free baking flour plus extra as needed
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Using an electric mixer on high, beat crunchy almond butter with ½ cup powdered sugar, sugar, extract, 1 Tbs. oil and 1 Tbs. almond milk. At medium speed, mix in remaining milk, ground almonds and flour. Shape into ball. Wrap and chill 1 hour. Grease baking sheets. Cut ball into fourths, shape on lightly floured work surface into ropes ½ inch in diameter. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Shape into crescents on greased sheets. Chill baking sheets for 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake about 20 to 22 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool. Combine remaining powdered sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over cookies.

Note: For my flour, I used a commercial mix of brown rice flour, potato starch, rice flour and tapioca flour.