Vanillekipfer Austrian Vanilla Cookies
In Austria, Christmas is not complete without the Vanillekipferl, typical vanilla Christmas treats shaped like a croissant or crescent moon (Kirpfel means “crescent”), they are perfect for enjoying as a snack or breakfast with a good cup of hot chocolate or tea.
The Vanillekipfer are truly delicious and super tasty cookies, with an unmistakable vanilla aroma and so crumbly, that they melt in your mouth, disappearing in no time! Unmissable!
These vanilla cookies are ideal as DIY gifts for Christmas or to put in the Christmas stocking, specially wrapped in food bags with Christmas decorations or Christmas tin boxes for cookies.
In the notes below, I also include the recipe for Austrian Vanillekipfer without eggs.
These cookies are among my Top recipes, due to their simplicity and deliciousness, if you are looking for tried and tested, super tasty and fail-proof recipes, search the Blog, among my masterpieces, in the appropriate Section: “My TOP Recipes”
If you are looking for recipes to make cookies at home, click on my “Special Cookies“.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: About 30 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Austrian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, Christmas
Ingredients for Vanillekipfer Austrian Vanilla Cookies
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (weak flour, I use Caputo pastry flour or Garofalo w 170)
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1 cup + 2 tbsps oz butter (quality, I use Lurpak or Shaves)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tbsps vanilla extract (or 1 tsp Bourbon vanilla seeds)
- 1 g fine salt
- to taste vanilla powdered sugar
- to taste vanilla granulated sugar (optional)
- 2 vanilla pods (optional)
Tools
- Scale digital, with removable bowl and alarm timer
- Bowls Guzzini set of various sizes
- Stand Mixer Kenwood with 1400 W power, illuminated bowl
- Baking Tray extendable
- Containers tin
Steps for Vanillekipfer Austrian Vanilla Cookies
Note that all ingredients must be at room temperature, take them out of the fridge at least an hour before.
Work the softened butter and sugar with a stand mixer (or electric beaters) for about 5 minutes until smooth. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, then the almond flour, continuing to mix until well combined. Finally, add the all-purpose flour and incorporate it with a spatula, mixing lightly for about 30 seconds, avoiding overmixing the dough.
Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap, put it in the fridge for at least an hour (or even better overnight).
After the indicated time, form rolls about 2 inches long and 0.8 inches in diameter, and shape into crescents by tapering the ends, then place them spaced apart on a micro-perforated baking tray (this way you can even avoid greasing it, see below in Purchase Tips) or on a tray lined with parchment paper.
To ensure the cookies maintain their shape in the oven without spreading, before baking, refrigerate the tray of cookies for at least 40 minutes and then bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 12 minutes (depends on your oven) but they should remain pale.
Once baked, do not touch them immediately as they are very delicate, wait a few minutes and then dip them while still warm, one by one, in plenty of vanilla powdered sugar or in vanilla granulated sugar (obtained by leaving one or two vanilla pods in a glass jar covered with granulated sugar, for at least a day).
The Vanillekipfer keep well in a tin box (or even better, in a glass jar with a vanilla pod) and are served cold, preferably made a few days in advance, they gain in flavor and crispness.
Notes and Tips
For the original Austrian Vanillekipfer without eggs:
250 g weak all-purpose flour
125 g finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour*
200 g butter
50 g sugar
vanilla sugar (you can leave a vanilla pod in a glass jar covered with powdered sugar)
*You can substitute almond flour with 125 g finely ground nuts (optional)
With a stand mixer, mix the softened butter and weak all-purpose flour
Add the sugar and almond flour and run the mixer just long enough to combine the ingredients.
Let the dough rest in a cool place for at least half an hour.
Form balls the size of a walnut and shape them into crescents. Place them on a micro-perforated baking tray or lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Bake at 390°F for about 10 minutes (depends on your oven).
Roll them in vanilla sugar while still warm.
Purchase Tips!!!
For weighing ingredients, I use this handy digital kitchen scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function, and built-in timer.
To work the dough effortlessly, I use my Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with illuminated 7L bowl, 1400 W power, built-in scale, and blender, a loyal ally in the kitchen for: mixing, weighing, whisking, cooking, chopping, melting chocolate, and pasteurizing eggs.
If you’re looking for a more affordable stand mixer, you can easily purchase the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker stand mixer, with dual 5L and 3.5L bowls and 1200 W power, built-in scale.
I also recommend this very handy multi-use extendable baking tray, ideal for cookies, pizzas, focaccias, savory and sweet pies.
These very cute Christmas tin boxes, to package DIY Christmas gifts, are available on Amazon (but if you like them, hurry up to buy them, because they sell out every year !).
You can purchase all the items I recommend above, on Amazon, at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
You can purchase all the items I recommend above, on Amazon, at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
You can purchase all the items I recommend above, on Amazon, at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
