Vanillekipferl Recipe

This Austrian Vanillekipferl recipe is a must in our house every December. These tender and crumbly vanilla crescents are full of hazelnuts and rolled in vanilla sugar.

These melt-in-your-mouth Austrian Vanillekipferl cookies are probably the best cookies in the world. I've been making this recipe for at least 15 years, always in December.

What are Vanillekipferl?

They are famous Austrian Christmas cookies, just as popular in Germany as they are in Austria. They are also typical for Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and parts of Romania.

The shape of the Vanillekipferl is that of a crescent or half-moon.

Vanilla crescents seem to originate in Vienna, and there are many stories about this subject, some mentioning the French queen Marie Antoinette.

However, the most popular story says that the Vanillekipferl was invented to celebrate the victory over the Ottomans, who were trying to enter Vienna through tunnels under the city.

The bakers, who were always awake very early in the morning, heard the underground sounds and were able to raise the alarm in time. As a sign of celebration, they created the half-moon cookies, a reminder of the Turkish crescent.

Recipe ingredients

How to make vanilla sugar?

There are three ways of making vanilla sugar, and they all require an empty vanilla pod or two. Of course, you can use a vanilla bean that still has the seeds inside, but as vanilla is super expensive, I prefer to use only the empty pods.

Granulated vanilla sugar: It's the kind you will need for the Vanillekipferl. Roughly chop the pods, place them in a good food processor, and grind them well. Mix with granulated sugar to make vanilla sugar.

Powdered vanilla sugar: Place the vanilla pods and granulated sugar in a good food processor and process until powdered. The powdered vanilla sugar tends to become hard after a while, but that doesn't affect the taste; just scrape out the needed amount with a spoon whenever necessary.

Jar vanilla sugar: Fill a jar with sugar and stick the halved vanilla pod inside. The resulting vanilla sugar will not be as powerful as the mixtures mentioned above, but it would be perfect for flavoring coffee or other drinks, for instance.

Keep all kinds of vanilla sugar in airtight containers, they actually keep forever.

How to make Vanillekipferl

• Step #1: Make the dough in a food processor.
• Step #2: Knead it briefly to bring it into shape. Form a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic foil, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour.
• Step #3: Form a long roll and cut it into small pieces (large cherry size). Form the balls into crescents. Don't make the ends too thin; you don't want them to get too brown in the oven.
• Step #4: Place them on the baking sheet.

• Step #5: Bake in batches. When a tray is full, bake the first batch for about 13-15 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges. While the first crescents are baking, form the next batch. Remove the crescents from the oven and let them rest on the tray for 3 or 4 minutes, but not longer.
• Step #6, 7: Mix the sugar and the vanilla sugar on a large plate.
• Step #8: Carefully roll the crescents into the sugar, then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips for making Vanilla crescents

How to store the Austrian cookies?

Store in an airtight container like a cookie box at room temperature. They will be great for 2-3 weeks.

This is an updated post from December 2016.

These are Oma Lene's famous Vanillekipferl, which she would make every December as long as she lived in this house. She stopped making them years ago when she had to move to a house for old people, but I have kept making them ever since.

I used to bring her some every year and she would be so happy about it. She didn't get to taste them again this year. This post is in her memory; she died last Saturday (2016), aged 96. We will all miss her.

Vanillekipferl Recipe

This Austrian Vanillekipferl recipe is a must in our house every December. These tender and crumbly vanilla crescents are full of hazelnuts and rolled in vanilla sugar.

5 from 7 votes

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Course: Cookies

Cuisine: Austrian

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 50 cookies

Calories: 62kcal

Author: Adina

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Ingredients 

• ▢ 280 g all-purpose flour 19 oz/ 2 ⅓ cups, Note 1
• ▢ 80 g granulated sugar 3 oz/ ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon
• ▢ 200 g unsalted butter 7 oz/ 1 ¾ sticks, very cold
• ▢ 100 g ground hazelnuts 3.5 oz/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon, Note 2
• ▢ 50 g granulated sugar 1.7 oz/ ¼ cup
• ▢ 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar

Instructions

• Dough: Place the flour, sugar, cubed butter, and hazelnuts in the food processor. Process shortly to form a crumbly dough. Transfer the dough to the working surface and knead briefly to bring it into shape. Form a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic foil.

  280 g all-purpose flour/ 2 ⅓ cups + 80 g granulated sugar/ ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon + 200 g unsalted butter/ 1 ¾ sticks + 100 g ground hazelnuts/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon
• Refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 175°C/ 350°F. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper; you will have to work in batches.
• Shape: Form a long roll and cut it into small pieces. To check, form one ball, it should be roughly the size of a larger cherry. Next, form the dough pieces into crescents and place them on the baking tray. Don't make the ends too thin; you don't want them to get too brown in the oven.
• Bake in batches: When a tray is full, bake the first batch in the middle of the oven, for about 13-15 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges. While the first crescents are baking, form the next batch.
• Rest: Take the crescents out of the oven and rest on the tray for 3 or 4 minutes, but not longer.
• Coat with sugar: Mix the sugar and the vanilla sugar on a large plate. Carefully roll the crescents into the sugar, then place them on a wire rack to cool completely. You will probably break the first 2 or 3 until you get the hang of it. Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients; cup measuring is too imprecise. Ground almonds can be used instead.

  50 g granulated sugar/¼ cup + 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar
• Repeat the process with the remaining dough. They keep airtight in cookie jars or cookie tins for 2 or 3 weeks.

Notes

1. Measurements: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it ensures the best results (Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
2. Ground almonds can be used instead.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sugar: 3g

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