Vanillekipferl

These German and Austrian shortcrust crescent cookies (Vanillekipferl) literally melt in your mouth. Crumbly and buttery-delicious, they will soon become your holiday favorite!

Course brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Austrian, German

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 22

Servings

Calories 81kcal

Author Kate Hahnel

Equipment

Ingredients

80 g granulated white sugar (¼ cup + 2 tbsp)
200 g butter (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) (margarine, or vegan butter)
1-2 vanilla pods (depending on the size of the pods, and desired vanilla intensity).
230 g all-purpose baking flour (1¼ cups + 3 tbsp)
100 g ground hazelnuts (⅔ cup + 1 tbsp)

To make the dusting

2 packets vanilla sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
3 tablespoon powdered sugar

Instructions

Split the vanilla pod(s) lengthwise and use the back of your knife to scrape out the seeds.
Cream sugar and butter using a whisk, stand mixer, or hand mixer until smooth. Quickly mix in the vanilla seeds.
Add the all-purpose flour and ground hazelnuts. If using your hands, ensure they are cold to prevent warming the dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Work with ⅛ of the dough at a time, keeping the rest chilled.
Pinch out a small ball of dough and roll it into a log about ½ inch (1cm) thick. Cut the log into pieces, each about 1 inch (2 cm) in length.
Roll each piece into a cylinder and then shape it into a crescent, tapering the ends. Place crescents on a lined baking tray, avoiding overcrowding. Bake in batches if necessary for 10-12 minutes, or until they are lightly golden.
While baking, prepare the vanilla sugar coating by mixing sugar, powdered sugar, and Vanillezucker. Sift the vanilla sugar coating over the warm Vanillekipferl. Once cooled, transfer the cookies to an airtight container.

Notes

Use high-quality butter. It’s amazing the difference it makes.

You might ask about using vanilla extract. To this, I say: remember, these cookies are called Vanillekipferl for a reason. Freshly scraped vanilla is key - its aroma is unbeatable! I usually embrace flexibility in recipes, but here, I strongly recommend real vanilla. As my German sister-in-law advised years ago, it's worth the investment, even if it means foregoing a cup of coffee.

The dough might feel crumbly at first, but don't let this bother you. Keep working on it and the ingredients will soon come together.

Note that while some recipes add an egg as a binder, most traditional recipes, including this one, do not.

To make this recipe vegan, simply use vegan butter or margarine.

Nutrition