Nutty, melt-in-your-mouth Vanillekipferl will light up your holidays! Ready to eat in about an hour, these vanilla crescent cookies are covered in a vanilla infused powdered sugar like a winter wonderland. Originally from Austria they contain regular flour and almond flour. They will be a great inclusion to your holiday dessert tray or at your cookie exchange!
Why You Will Love This Authentic Austrian Recipe
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture: There is no egg in this dough, which makes the cookies incredibly short and tender. They literally dissolve on your tongue.
- Real Vanilla Flavor: We aren't just using extract here. By processing the whole vanilla bean into the sugar, you get an intense, floral vanilla flavor you can't buy in stores.
- Ideal for Cookie Boxes: These are sturdy enough to ship (once cooled) and their snowy white coating looks stunning next to dark chocolate cookies.
- Naturally Egg-Free: A great option for friends with egg allergies.
A Look at the Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the cookie. Because there is no egg, the flour works with the butter to create that delicate "short" texture.
- Almond Flour: This is the secret to the nutty flavor and tenderness. The natural oils in the almonds keep the cookies moist without making them tough.
- Unsalted Butter: Since this is a shortbread-style cookie, butter is the primary flavor carrier. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt level. Make sure it is at room temperature so it creams easily with the sugar.
- Vanilla Bean: We use the seeds in the dough and the whole pod in the sugar coating. This provides a depth of floral vanilla flavor that extract alone cannot achieve.
- Powdered Sugar: Used in both the dough and the coating. In the dough, it dissolves faster than granulated sugar, preventing a gritty texture. On the outside, it creates the signature snowy look.
Making the Dough
The dough comes together quickly, but temperature is key. Start by placing the all-purpose flour, salt, softened butter, powdered sugar, almond flour, and the scraped seeds from half a vanilla pod into a large mixing bowl.
Mix these ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly but holds together when you pinch it between your fingers. If it feels too dry, you can add 1 tablespoon of milk, but try to avoid adding liquid if possible.
Once combined, use your hands to press the dough into a flat square. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least one hour. This chilling step is non-negotiable as it allows the butter to firm up, making the cookies easier to roll.
Forming and Baking the Vanilla Crescent Cookies
After the dough has chilled, roll out sections of dough into a ½ inch or so log. Cut the log into 2 inch pieces. Take each 2 inch piece and roll it so it tapers down to a rounded point. Next, shape each tapered piece into a crescent.
Troubleshooting: How to Shape the Crescents
- The "Log" Method: Instead of trying to roll a ball into a crescent in your palm (which often cracks the edges), try this:
- Divide your dough into 4 main sections.
- Roll each section on the counter into a long "snake" or log, about the thickness of your thumb.
- Cut the log into equal small pieces (about 1 inch long).
- Gently bend each small piece into a "U" shape on the baking sheet. This ensures they are all the same size and bake evenly.
- Don't Make the Ends Too Thin: It is tempting to pinch the ends of the crescent into sharp points, but these burn very quickly in the oven while the middle is still raw. Try to keep the thickness relatively even from the center to the ends, rounding them off gently rather than pinching them.
- Keep Your Hands Cool: Since this dough relies on butter, hot hands will make it greasy and impossible to shape. If the dough gets too sticky, wash your hands with cold water (dry them well!) or pop the dough back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Cracking in the Middle? If the dough cracks immediately when you bend it, it is likely too cold. Let that specific piece warm up in your hand for just a few seconds, roll it smooth again, and then bend.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place each crescent on a lined baking sheet 1 inch apart and bake for 10 minutes.
The Vanilla Powdered Sugar
What makes the Vanillekipferl is the coating. We are making "Vanillezucker" (Vanilla Sugar) from scratch.
- Whole Bean Method: Place the powdered sugar and the entire ½ vanilla bean (seeds and all) into a blender or food processor.
- Blitz It: Pulse until the pod is completely pulverized. The sugar will turn a creamy off-white color and be speckled with tiny black vanilla seeds.
- Two Coatings: Sift half of this sugar over the cookies while they are still warm (the heat melts the sugar slightly so it sticks). Dust them again once fully cooled for that snowy look.
After the Vanillekipferl are out of the oven, let them rest for 2-3 minutes until removing them. After removing them to a cooling rack, dust them with about ½ of the vanilla powdered sugar. After they are done cooling, give them a second coat of powdered sugar.
How to Store and Freeze Vanillekipferl
Because these cookies contain no eggs and plenty of butter, they age beautifully. In fact, many bakers believe they taste better after a few days!
- Storage: Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
- Freezing: You can freeze the baked cookies (with or without sugar) for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter and give them a fresh dusting of powdered sugar before serving.
Like these cookies?
- Try my Lime Meltaway Cookies for a melt-in-your-mouth cookie.
- Like Chocolate? Try my Chocolate Peppermint Sandwiches.
- Need a cut-out cookie with a citrus kick? Try my Orange cut-out cookie recipe.
FAQ's:
This is the most common issue! These cookies are basically a tender shortbread, making them extremely fragile when they first come out of the oven.
The Fix: Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to "set" before you try to move them or coat them in sugar. If you touch them while they are piping hot, they will crumble.
Absolutely. While almonds are the most common choice, traditional Austrian recipes often use ground hazelnuts or walnuts. Walnuts will give the cookie a slightly darker color and a richer, earthier flavor. Just make sure the nuts are ground very finely.
Authentic Vanillekipferl are rolled in vanilla sugar, which provides that signature aroma. If you can't find packets of it at the store, you can make your own by blitzing granulated sugar with the seeds of a vanilla bean in a food processor. In a pinch, you can simply mix regular confectioners' sugar with a pinch of vanilla powder.
This dough relies on cold butter and very little liquid (usually just egg yolks or no egg at all, depending on the recipe). If it won't come together, don't add water. Keep kneading! The heat from your hands will eventually soften the butter enough to bind the flour and nuts into a smooth dough.
Recipe
Authentic German Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescent Cookies)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cubed room temperature unsalted butter
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ½ vanilla pod seeds scraped out or 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ vanilla pod left intact
Method
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine flour, salt, cubed butter, powdered sugar, nuts, and vanilla seeds. Mix until a crumbly dough forms, about 1 minute. If the dough is too crumbly add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- Use your hands to press the dough together and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for one hour in the fridge.
- Roll the chilled dough into a log approximately ½ inch thick. Cut the log into 2 inch pieces, form the pieces into small cylinders and taper the ends into rounded points. Bend each one into a crescent shape. Place the Vanillekipferl on a lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Bake the Vanillekipferl one cookie sheet at 350 degrees F for 10 min until the edges are golden.
- Make sure they do not get brown. Let rest for 2-3 minutes until removing from the baking sheet.
- Scrape out vanilla pod and combine with powdered sugar. With a blender or food processor, blend until the pod is well combined with the powdered sugar.
- Sift ½ the powdered sugar mixture over the Vanillekipferl. Let them cool completely then give them a second dusting.
- These cookies keep fresh for about 3 weeks in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Notes
- Keep Ingredients Cold: If the dough gets sticky while rolling, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Don't Pinch Ends: Round the ends of your crescents gently. Sharp points will burn in the oven.
- Fragile When Hot: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them, or they will crumble.
- Vanilla Sugar: For the best flavor, make the vanilla sugar a day in advance to let the aroma infuse.
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