Vanille Kipferl

There have only been some christmas cookie recipes in my family which we have made for christmas time every single year. They´re Linzer cookies, almond cookies and Vanilla Kipferl. We normally make 3-4 other recipes which vary. Vanille Kipferl are really basic but amazingly delicious cookies which could dissolve in your mouth. They are made out of a special shortcrust, formed to little croissants or as we Austrian say “Kipferl”, baked and rolled in powdered vanilla sugar. I always recommend baking shortcrust cookies early in the christmas time, that way they will turn out even more crumbly and tender around christmas eve.

You will need (for 3 trays):

540g flour
140g almonds, grated
100g powdered sugar
340 g butter
2 Eier

Combine flour, grated almonds and powdered sugar in a bowl and pour on a working surface. Slice butter into small pieces and add to flour mixture. Start kneading. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until no butter lumps remain. Add eggs and keep kneading until dough is smooth. Keep dough rested in fridge for about an hour. Then form a roll where you will cut smaller pieces and form little “Croissant Kipferl”. The picture below shows you how to do it. Lay each Kipferl on a baking tray and bake in oven for about 10 minutes (oven temperature 180°C).

Vanilla sugar coating:

200g powdered sugar
3 tbs. vanilla sugar

Combine powdered sugar and vanilla sugar in a large deep dish. When Vanille Kipferl are baked toss them in powdered vanilla sugar while Kipferl are still warm. Set them on a noter baking tray and let them cool out completely. Then you can stack them in cookie boxes and enjoy them!

Nadja