Vanillekipferl (Austrian Crescent Cookies)

These delicate, buttery crescent cookies are a cherished Christmas tradition in my husband’s Austrian family.

• Toasting the almond flour enhances its nutty flavor. 
• Rubbing the seeds of a vanilla bean into both the dough and the sugar for dusting gives the cookies a sweet, floral flavor. 

You know it's Weihnachtszeit—Christmas time—when the cookie-making operation kicks off at my Viennese mother-in-law's cozy house in Upstate New York. With snow falling outside and German holiday music playing, the entire family huddles together in the kitchen to make batches and batches of vanillekipferl—delightfully rich and buttery Austrian crescent cookies—for their loved ones. The cookies have a distinct nuttiness and a melt-in-your-mouth crumb, and are an essential part of Christmastime in Austria, Germany, and Central Europe. The name combines the words vanille (vanilla) and kipferl (crescents), literally translating to "vanilla crescents." 

Traditionally, vanillekipferl are made by combining freshly ground almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts; all-purpose flour; butter; granulated sugar; and egg yolks. The dough is shaped into crescents, baked, then rolled in store-bought vanilla sugar. They're usually stored and served in a Christmas cookie tin called a Weihnachtskekdose, along with all the other holiday cookies. Most Austrian families, including my husband's, begin baking in early December and continue through Christmas, storing the cookies in these tins to keep them fresh. 

My version of the recipe is more accessible than the traditional one. Instead of freshly ground nuts, I use store-bought almond flour, which I toast to enhance its nuttiness. I also add vanilla to the dough itself to give it a sweet, floral note. Once the dough has been made, divided into logs, and chilled, the real fun begins—shaping the buttery dough in a warm kitchen while having a laugh with loved ones is as much a part of the tradition as eating the cookies. Keeping the dough cold is crucial, as it helps the cookies stay intact and prevents the butter from melting both during shaping and baking. For tender cookies with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, handle the dough gently to avoid developing excess gluten, which can make the cookies tough and brittle. 

To shape the cookies, you'll divide the logs into 1 1/4-inch pieces, then form each into a crescent in the palm of your hand. Don't worry about making perfect crescents; you just want them similar in size so they bake evenly.

Though store-bought vanilla sugar from the brand Dr. Oetker is typically used to dust the cookies in Austria and Germany, it can be difficult to find in the US. As a workaround, I provide instructions for making your own vanilla sugar by simply rubbing together powdered sugar and the seeds of a vanilla pod. Once the cookies are baked, you'll dust them in vanilla sugar twice: first while they're still hot so the sugar melts into the cookies, and again once they've cooled. The result is a deeply fragrant cookie that tastes just as good as it smells.

As the cookies bake, they'll fill your kitchen with a warm, nutty aroma—my favorite sign that Christmas is just around the corner.

Recipe Details

Vanillekipferl (Austrian Crescent Cookies)

Prep 45 mins Cook 25 mins Resting and Cooling Time: 65 mins Total 2 hrs 15 mins Makes 48 cookies Save Print Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

• 1 vanilla bean, divided

• 90 g almond or hazelnut flour (about 3 1/4 ounces; 1 cup)

• 200 g all-purpose flour (7 ounces; 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon)

• 67 g granulated sugar (2 1/3 ounces; 1/3 cup)

• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

• 170 g (6 ounces) European-style unsalted butter, such as Kerrygold or Plugra, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (see notes)

• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

For the Vanilla Sugar:

• 65 g powdered sugar (about 2 1/4 ounces; 1/2 cup)

• 1/2 vanilla bean, reserved from above

Directions

1. For the Cookie Dough: In a 10-inch skillet on medium heat, toast almond flour, stirring constantly, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.

2. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape out vanilla seeds from half the pod and add to bowl with almond flour. Using your hands, rub vanilla bean mixture with flour until seeds are evenly distributed. Reserve remaining half of vanilla bean for vanilla sugar.

3. Add all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt to vanilla and almond mixture, whisking to combine.

4. Add butter to flour mixture and, using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut butter into flour and toss with fingers until butter pieces are thoroughly coated with flour. Using your fingertips, pinch and flatten butter pieces, then rub it between your fingertips until butter is small and crumbly, and a sandy, moist dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overwork the dough.

5. Make a well in the center of flour mixture about 2 to 3 inches wide. Pour beaten egg yolk into the well and, using your fingers, gradually incorporate flour into egg until a cohesive dough forms.

6. Divide the dough into 8 portions about 68 g (2 1/3 ounces) each. Roll and shape each portion of dough into a 7 1/2-inch-long log about 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap log tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends of the plastic to seal. Once wrapped, roll log under hands in a back-and-forth motion on work surface to ensure log is smooth, even, and tightly packed all around. Refrigerate until slightly firm, about 45 minutes.

7. For the Vanilla Sugar: While dough chills, place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Scrape remaining vanilla bean and add to bowl with powdered sugar, and, using your hands, rub seeds with sugar, tossing to evenly coat; set aside.

8. To Shape and Bake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

9. Remove 1 log from the refrigerator and divide it into 6 pieces each about 1 1/4-inches long. Repeat with the remaining 7 logs; you should have 48 pieces of dough in total.

10. Working with 1 piece at a time in the palm of your hand, roll both ends of dough with your fingertips so the ends taper and dough is about 2 1/2 inches long. Gently pull the tapering edges down to form a crescent shape and place on 1 of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat until you have 24 cookies evenly spaced apart on 1 prepared baking sheet. Freeze cookies until firm, about 10 minutes. Repeat shaping remaining 24 cookies on other prepared baking sheet.

11. Bake 1 sheet of cookies at a time, rotating halfway, until the tips of the crescents are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the crescents to cool slightly, about 1 minute. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust top of cookies with about 1/4 of prepared vanilla sugar.

12. Place second sheet of cookies in the freezer while the first tray bakes. Repeat baking and dusting with the remaining baking sheet.

13. Once cookies are completely cooled, dust more vanilla sugar on crescents and roll them around in the sugar to cover completely.

Special Equipment

Pastry cutter, two 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets, plastic wrap, parchment paper, fine-mesh sieve

Notes 

European-style butter has 82% fat, which is higher than American butter's 80% fat. The greater fat percentage helps provide the melt-in-your-mouth texture that is required for vanillekipferl.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Once shaped, the dough can be frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze dough, arrange crescents on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. When firm, consolidate into a zip-top bag. The day before you are ready to bake, arrange crescents on a rimmed baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let thaw in fridge for at least 8 hours before baking.

Vanillekipferl can be stored in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Baked, undusted cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Before serving, thaw cookies in the refrigerator, warm in oven, and dust with vanilla sugar.

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