Austrian Kipferl Cookies: A Cloud of Vanilla and Almond
The Austrian Kipferl cookies, also known as Vanillekipferl, are a timeless classic of Christmas pastry, loved for their crumbly texture that melts in your mouth and their unmistakable vanilla aroma. Imagine a small pastry masterpiece in the shape of a crescent moon, light and melting like a cloud, evoking the warmth of winter holidays. The Vanillekipferl are more than just cookies: they are a sensory experience, a Christmas classic embodying the elegance and tradition of Central European culinary culture.
The dough, made from flour, high-quality butter, and traditionally, finely chopped almonds or walnuts, gives the Kipferl a uniquely crumbly and delicate texture that literally melts with the first bite.
Freshly baked and still warm, these cookies are generously dusted with vanilla-flavored powdered sugar, which adheres to the buttery surface and creates a sublime visual and aromatic contrast.
The characteristic crescent (or horseshoe) shape makes them immediately recognizable and iconic, perfect for gifting or serving on a dessert tray.
A Bite of Tradition:
Perfect to enjoy alongside a cup of hot chocolate or tea, Kipferl are a sweet memory that carries with it all the magic and elegance of Viennese pastry shops.
Other Christmas cookies you might be interested in:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 20 Pieces
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup almond flour
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean)
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Teaspoon
- 1 Plastic Wrap
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Baking Mat
- 1 Cooling Rack
Steps
To make Austrian Kipferl, sift the all-purpose flour into a large mixing bowl and add the almond flour.
Use a spatula to mix them and make a well in the center.
Add the brown sugar, cold butter cut into chunks, and vanilla extract.
Separate the egg white from the yolk and add the yolk to the bowl. Lastly, add a pinch of salt.
Quickly knead by hand, without overworking it to prevent the butter from getting too warm.
Then transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few minutes.
You should obtain a smooth and homogeneous loaf.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
After this time, take the loaf out of the fridge and use a dough cutter (or a knife) to divide the dough, working with only one portion at a time. The rest should be kept in the fridge. Cut into pieces weighing 15g each, and roll them gently.
You should form cylinders about 3 inches long.
Shape them gently to avoid breaking them, trying to curve them like a horseshoe, keeping the center of the kipferl more rounded than the ends.
Arrange all the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. This way they won’t lose their shape during baking.
Bake them in a preheated fan oven at 340°F for 10‘ minutes; they should remain quite pale. Remove them from the oven and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.
Once ready, let them cool completely on a wire rack.
And voilà…the Austrian kipferl are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
More shots of the kipferl cookies
Storage
👉You can store Austrian kipferl in a well-sealed tin box for a week or more. Alternatively, you can freeze them either cooked or raw. Freeze the entire dough or the already formed cookies, placing them on a tray first and only then in a food bag.
Tips, Notes, Variations, and Suggestions
🟣* From the leftover egg white you can make fantastic meringues or some amazing apple cakes!
