Loaded with nutty almond goodness and coated with vanilla-infused sugar, these Viennese Crescents, or Kipfel, are a popular Christmas cookie tradition in Austria.
Author: Anne Papina
Recipe type: dessert
Cuisine: Viennese
Serves: 24
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup ground, unblanched almonds
½ cup sifted powdered sugar
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
Vanilla Sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
Place flour, butter, nuts, ½ cup powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and almond extracts in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together until thoroughly blended and no dry bits remain.
Shape into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.
Meanwhile, make the vanilla sugar: with a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean, and cut the pod into 2-inch pieces.
Combine the vanilla bean seeds and pod pieces with ¼ cup powdered sugar in a food processor bowl and blend on high for several seconds, or until no pod chunks remain. Combine with the remaining powdered sugar in a medium bowl, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough, and roll into a 3-inch-long rope. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and carefully curve into a crescent shape. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown.
While the cookies are still warm, roll in the vanilla sugar, coating all sides. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll again in the vanilla sugar before serving.
Makes about 4 dozen.
Recipe by Webicurean at http://blog.webicurean.com/2013/12/01/viennese-crescents-kipfel-twelvedaysofchristmas/