felichiccuisine

Vanilla Crescent Cookies -Vanillekipferl

By Feli Chic'Cuisine

These Austrian cookies are delicious, buttery, vanilla-flavored, beautifully crumbly and melt in your mouth!

Popular in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, these cookies are preferred, especially during the Christmas time.

Vanillekipferl originated in Vienna, Austria around 400 years ago when, in celebration of a victory over the Ottoman Turks, the locals created this pastry in the shape of the crescent moon found on the Turkish banner.

They’re a shortbread cookies made with the addition of ground almonds and a generous dusting of vanilla sugar.

Enjoy Austrian Christmas atmosphere at home with these wonderfully light biscuits.

Makes: 55 cookies

Preparation Time: 40 min

Refrigerate Time: 60 min

Bake Time: 12 min

Total Time: 1 h 52 min

Ingredients:

For the Dough

260 g cold butter, cubed
90 g icing (powdered) sugar
1 pinch salt
2 Vanilla pods or 2 tsp vanilla extract
zest from 1/2 lemon (bio)
380 g flour
90 g ground almonds (blanched)
2 egg whites

For Dusting

200 g icing (powdered) sugar
2 1/2 tsp Bourbon vanilla sugar or 4 tsp vanilla sugar

Method

Step 1

In a bowl mix the butter with icing (powdered) sugar, salt, vanilla pulp (or sugar vanilla) and lemon zest. Add the flour and ground almonds. Using your hands flake the ingredients together, until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Lightly beat the white eggs and add it into the flour mixture. Using your hands, quickly knead everything into a smooth dough. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in cling film or baking paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.

Step 3

Cut small pieces of the dough and shape them into crescent-shape. Place the crescents onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden. Let the cookies sit for 1 minute.

Step 4

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the icing (powdered) sugar and vanilla sugar. Using a sifter dust the cookies with the vanilla-powdered sugar while they're still warm. Let the cookies cool completely and then give them a second dusting.

NOTES

Vanillakipferl are shortbread cookies traditionally made with a high butter content and usually without eggs. Even though adding egg yolk will make the dough easier to work with ( softer and more pliable), I prefer the texture of Vanillekipferl made with egg whites. Crumb is lighter, looser, and crumblier with a delightful melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Enjoy!

“Christmas now surrounds us, Happiness is everywhere. Our hands are busy with many tasks as carols fill the air."― Shirley Sallay