Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescent Cookies)
Vanillekipferl! These beautiful Vanilla Crescent Cookies are a popular Christmas cookie in Austria and Germany. Made with ground nuts & dusted in powdered sugar, each bite of these rich, buttery cookies is true bliss.
Servings: 24 Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter cut into chunks, at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat 1 cup unsalted butter (16 tablespoons), ½ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt together on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract, if you’re using it, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the machine off, add the 1¾ cups all-purpose flour all at once and then pulse the mixer to start blending. Mix on low speed until the flour is almost incorporated, then add the 1 cup almond flour and mix only until it disappears into the mixture and the dough comes together.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out walnut-size nuggets of dough or use a tablespoon.
- Work each piece into a compact ball between your palms and then roll it on the counter into a rope about 4 inches long. Bend the rope into a crescent, pinch the ends lightly and place on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the crescents.
- Bake for 19 to 21 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back after 10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden at their tips, pale everywhere else and set, but too fragile to lift without breaking.
- Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let the cookies rest for 5 minutes before you give them the sugar treatment.
- Put ½ cup confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and, one by one, dredge the cookies in sugar to coat and place on racks to cool.
Notes
Storing
The dough can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months. If you decide to freeze the dough, I think you’ll find it more convenient to shape it first and freeze the crescents; let the crescents come to cool room temperature before baking them. If you omit the sugar coating, the baked cookies can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months. The baked cookies will keep for about 3 days; give them a fresh dusting of confectioners’ sugar before serving. Variations
The dough can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months. If you decide to freeze the dough, I think you’ll find it more convenient to shape it first and freeze the crescents; let the crescents come to cool room temperature before baking them. If you omit the sugar coating, the baked cookies can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months. The baked cookies will keep for about 3 days; give them a fresh dusting of confectioners’ sugar before serving. Variations
- Citrus Zest Infused Vanillekipferl: Enhance the cookies with a burst of citrus by adding lemon or orange zest to the dough. Mix the zest of one lemon or orange into the dough along with the extracts.
- Spiced Vanillekipferl: Infuse the dough with warm spices for a cozy twist. Add a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves or cardamom to the dough along with the extracts.
- Chocolate Dipped Vanillekipferl: After baking and cooling, dip the tips of the crescents in melted chocolate or white chocolate.