Vanillekipferl (Austrian Vanilla Crescent Cookies)
Christmas Traditions In Austria
In Austria, the weeks leading up to Christmas are counted down on an Advent wreath that is made from evergreen boughs and decorated with candles that are typically all the same color (which differs from the pink and purple ones that we find typically in the States).
Austrian children get a visit from St. Nicholas on December 6th, who brings them chocolates, nuts, and oranges.
If they are good, more presents come on Christmas Eve with a visit from Christkind (a cherub angel representing the Christ child).
Christmas Eve is the main day of Christmas celebration in Austria, starting with decorating the Christmas tree with candles and sweets while singing Christmas carols.
(Did you know that the carol Silent Night (Stille Nacht) comes from the early 1800s in Austria?)
The Christmas Eve meal in Austria often includes fried carp because traditionally Christmas Eve was a day of fasting from meat. Roast apples and braised cabbage are other dishes that may be found on the dinner table, along with Christmas cookies and often a special Christmas cake.
Vanillekipferl: Vanilla Crescent
The name Vanillekipferl (pronounced VAN-el-eu-KIP-fuhl) literally means "vanilla crescent" or "vanilla moon."
These crescent-shaped cookies originate from Vienna, Austria, where they are a much-loved, traditional Christmas cookie. They are also quite common throughout Europe, particularly in Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
Legend has it that their shape was created to resemble the Turkish crescent moon, to celebrate one of the victories of the Hungarian army over the Turkish army.
Working With Ground Almonds
Ground almonds give these cookies a crumbly texture, but they can also make the dough a bit difficult to work with.
We refrigerate the dough to keep the butter firm, and the dough will crumble as you first start to work with it, but when it reaches that magical place where it is just soft enough from the heat of your hands, you know you're in business and the shaping of the cookies will go quickly and smoothly.
Precise Baking For Our Almond and Vanilla Crescent Cookies
Be careful not to over bake these cookies, or they will be very fragile.
By baking them just until the tips start to turn golden brown, they don't hit that too-crumbly point.
Leaving them on the baking sheet to cool for a few minutes lets them firm up and cool just enough to be easier to handle as you coat them with powdered sugar.
What is Vanilla Sugar?
Vanilla sugar adds a distinct flavor to these cookies.
As simple as it sounds, vanilla sugar is just sugar that has been flavored with vanilla.
It is common in many European baking recipes, and can be found in little packets in the stores. However, in the States, it isn't common to find those little packets of vanilla sugar.
The good news is, it is easy to make yourself.
How to make easy Vanilla Sugar
You can make vanilla sugar simply by mixing 1 cup of sugar with the seeds of 1 vanilla pod.
However, if you don't have a vanilla pod laying around, you can also make vanilla sugar using pure vanilla extract.
To make your own vanilla sugar using vanilla extract, place ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract and ¼ c sugar in your food processor. Pulse the two together until the sugar is evenly colored.
The sugar will now be moist, so spread the sugar on a plate to dry.
As it dries, it will clump slightly. So, once dry it needs to be returned to the food processor and pulsed a few more times until you have a fine, vanilla scented sugar.
Store the vanilla sugar in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. (For your reference, 1 package of vanilla sugar is roughly equal to 1 ½ tsp.)
One you start making vanilla sugar, you might just be addicted to adding the extra flavor to everything from pancakes to coffee, even to sauces.
Get creative!
Vanillekipferl (Austrian Vanilla Crescent Cookies)
Crisp and buttery with a nutty, almond flavor, this recipe for delicate Vanillekipferl, or Austrian Vanilla Crescent Cookies, creates cookies that look pretty on a platter and are sure to be a hit at your holiday party.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoon (170g) butter, unsalted, cold, cut into chunks
- 2 c (240g) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 c (84g) ground almonds*
- ½ c (56g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar**
- Pinch salt
- 2 large egg yolks
For the Topping
- ½ c (56g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar**
Instructions
- Place the butter and flour in to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse to combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place the mixture in a large bowl.
- Add the ground almonds, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, and egg yolks to the mixture. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl until it comes together, 5 min.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, shape each into a ball. Place the balls in a sealed plastic bag or covered bowl in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, up to 2 days, to develop flavor.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
- Remove one ball of dough from the refrigerator. Roll it into a rope, 12 inches long. Cut the rope into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece into a 3-4 inch rope and shape it into a crescent. Place the shaped crescents onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a non-stick baking mat, ½ inch apart. Repeat with the remaining dough, removing one ball of dough from the refrigerator at a time, until you have filled one tray.
- Bake the cookies, one tray at a time, for 11-12 min, until the tips of the crescents just start to turn a light golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven. (And place your second, cool tray with shaped cookies in the oven to bake, if necessary.)
- Let the baked cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes while you prepare your sugar mixture. Mix ½ c powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar together in a shallow bowl.
- Take the warm cookies from the baking sheet and carefully coat them in the sugar mixture. Place the coated cookies on a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Repeat as needed with the remaining cookies.
- Leave the cookies out overnight to harden, and then transfer them to an air tight container to store for up to 1 week.
Notes
*We grind our own almonds using a food processor. You could also use packaged almond meal.
**TO MAKE YOUR OWN VANILLA SUGAR: Mix 1 cup of sugar with the seeds of 1 vanilla pod.
OR
Place ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract and ¼ c sugar in your food processor. Pulse until the sugar is evenly colored. Spread the sugar on a plate to dry. It will clump slightly as it dries. Once dry, return the sugar to the food processor and pulse until fine. Store in an airtight container in a cool and dry place.
(1 package of vanilla sugar = 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla sugar)
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
2 cookiesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 115
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
I just made this cookies yesterday and they are absolutely delicious. No need to make any changes in my opinion. Thank you so much!
So glad you enjoyed them!
I'm planning to make these cookies for the cast of a current production of the Sound of Music. Your recipe says it makes enough for 24 people. Is that one cookie per person? Thank you.
Hi Trudi. What perfect treat! This recipe yields roughly 48 (2 inch) cookies.
What is the equivalent weight for 12 tbsp of butter in oz or grams?
Hi Habsah. 12 Tbsp of butter is 6 oz or roughly 170.1 g. Enjoy!
I was delighted to stumble across your recipe. My Mom made these every year for the holidays but with walnuts and I can still taste these buttery delights as I would take a bite and it would melt on my tongue.
What a wonderful memory! We hope you enjoy the recipe!
I found the dough to be so dry that I needed to add liquid. I added about 1/2 C of heavy cream (kind of liquid pre-butter, right!). I also used maple sugar in place of vanilla sugar (maplekipferl?). I dipped ends into dark chocolate. Cookies were delish. Just agree with shaping before cooling. Thanks for lovely recipes!
Hi Gail. The dough for these cookies does start out seeming quite try, but as you work the dough with your hands, the butter warms up and it should come together into a firm dough. It sounds like your adjustments turned out great though, and we're glad you enjoyed them! Maple sounds like a great addition!
Great cookie. As a pastry chef I would recommend if you are using the “ice box” cookie method that you pre-shape the dough prior to chilling it. Once dough is chill slice the cookies off the log. I tried this recipe as intended and without chilling and noticed a significant amount of tunneling and toughness to the cookie when it needed to be worked and rolled out from the chiller. The cookies turned out perfect without the need for chilling or over manupaliting the dough. I
Thanks Chef. We'll give these cookies a try with your notes!
HI Sarah, My parents met while my dad was an American soldier stationed in Vienna. Baking Crescent cookies became a Christmas tradition that I have continued down to my children and grandchild. The only difference is that as we have pecans aplenty here in Texas and have a family member allergic to almonds so we used ground pecans. So very very melt in your mouth delicious.
What a fun tradition! I bet these are delicious with pecans! We'll have to give that a try!
My parents were Austrian. My mother made Vanilla Kipferl every Christmas, and I have continued the tradition. We always use hazelnuts (filberts) though. Mom's recipe didn't call for any egg, but in the past couple of years I have added yolks. I don't notice a difference in the flavour, but perhaps with the addition of the yolks, the cookies are less delicate, i.e., easier to handle when dipping in the vanilla sugar.
I (permanently) keep a glass jar filled with icing sugar and vanilla pods. I poked holes in the lid, and use it for dusting. Dusting the kipferl rather than rolling in the vanilla sugar a second time works well.
for the almonds, do you blanch them first before grinding them into powder. Also, provided that you do blanch them, do you also toast them in the oven before grinding? Thanks.
Hi Klaus, We just used normal baking almonds that we ground ourselves. We didn't blanch or toast them first. Enjoy!
How do I order these cookies, vanilla cookies?
Unfortunately we are not taking orders at this time. Thank you though!
Hello,
how many ounces or grams is your equivalent of 12 Tbsp butter?
Hi Erica. 12 Tbsp of butter is 6 oz or roughly 170 grams. Enjoy!
Would it work to use almond flour instead of ground almonds, or should I make sure to use ground almonds? Thank you!
Hi Emily, Almond flour might be a little finer than what you would get by grinding your own, so you may need to add a but more to get the dough to a good consistency. But the cookies should still work well using the flour. Enjoy!
My mother worked in a pastry kitchen in Vienna when she was young and made these cookies every year at Christmas. I can recall watching her as I sat by the kitchen table. I used to "help" her grate the almonds.
What fun memories! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Sarah,
You have an amazing recipe. Cookies taste awesome!
I have one question tho, how do you keep the dusting powdered sugar from disappearing? Mine won't last over 24 hrs. 🙁
Hi Carol.
We're glad you like the cookies! Working with powdered sugar and warm cookies can be a bit tricky. We have found that the best way to have a good coat of powdered sugar is to coat them while they are still warm, and then let them cool on a wire rack. This first coating will probably disappear slightly (or mostly). So, once the cookies are cool, we toss them in the sugar again. We then leave our cookies out overnight to let them completely cool and dry out. If there is any warmth or moisture left in/on the cookies when you put them in an airtight container, the powdered sugar will continue to melt. Have a Merry Christmas!
I love that you go into the history of the recipe. These look so delicious. I want to say that I may have had them before - or at least something similar 🙂
Thanks Sarah!
Hi Sarah your cookies look awesome! I have a similar recipe from my grandmother. So delicious. So glad the corn cookies arrived safely!
Thanks Ace! We loved the corn cookies. They were so unique and fun!