Traditional Austrian Almond Crescent Cookies (Kipferl) – An Easy Holiday Baking Recipe
Welcome to the delightful world of holiday baking! These traditional Austrian Almond Crescent Cookies, also known as Kipferl or Vanillekipferl, are an absolute favorite of mine during the festive season. Prepared with the finest almond flour, these buttery, crisp, and utterly irresistible cookies are perfect for sharing, gifting, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of coffee.
The enchanting cookie season has officially arrived, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! There’s something truly magical about the aroma of freshly baked cookies filling your home, especially during the holidays. Last year, I shared my beloved almond sugar cookies, complete with a simple icing. While I adore the process of meticulously decorating traditional sugar cookies and going wild with nonpareils, I admit they do demand a considerable time investment.
That’s precisely why today’s Almond Crescent Cookies are such a fantastic alternative. They offer the same elegant charm and festive appeal but are significantly simpler and quicker to prepare. Let’s be honest, amidst the whirlwind and joyous chaos of the holiday season, sometimes we just need recipes that deliver exceptional flavor with minimal fuss. These Kipferl cookies fit that bill perfectly.
You will need to set aside approximately 30 minutes for the dough to chill, which is a crucial step we’ll discuss later. However, the good news is that you can have these delightful cookies prepped, baked, and ready to be devoured in just over an hour. And rest assured, convenience doesn’t mean sacrificing any of the rich, comforting flavors we all crave during this special time of year.
Almond Crescent Cookies: A Taste of Austrian Tradition (Kipferl Cookies)
These crescent-shaped cookies are truly special – crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, wonderfully buttery, and frankly, quite difficult to stop eating! My journey with these traditional Austrian cookies began years ago when I first learned to make them in culinary school. I was instantly captivated by their simplicity and incredible flavor.
Known affectionately as Kipferl (which beautifully translates to “crescent” or “moon”) or Vanillekipferl (vanilla crescents), these charming half-moon cookies are a classic Christmas staple, with their origins deeply rooted in Vienna, Austria. They hold a cherished place in European holiday traditions, often found on festive platters alongside other beloved treats.
The magic of Almond Crescent Cookies lies in their remarkably simple ingredient list: butter, all-purpose flour, fine almond flour, powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste for an even richer flavor), and a touch of salt. To elevate that delightful nutty profile, a hint of pure almond extract is also included, amplifying the natural almond goodness. This combination creates a cookie with a delicate texture and a depth of flavor that is truly irresistible.
Once these pale, golden beauties emerge from the oven, they are traditionally rolled and generously coated in powdered sugar while still warm. This ensures the sugar adheres perfectly, creating a lovely, snowy finish. I personally love to add a touch of ground cinnamon to my powdered sugar mix, which imparts a subtle warmth and spice. However, feel free to experiment with other baking spices like ground cardamom or a pinch of nutmeg to personalize your batch. In many ways, these cookies share a delightful kinship with other beloved powdered-sugar-coated treats, such as classic snowball cookies or Mexican wedding cookies, offering that same melt-in-your-mouth experience.
The Essential Role of Almond Flour in Your Baking
Given the simplicity of the ingredient list for these Almond Crescent Cookies, the quality of each component becomes paramount. This is especially true for the almond flour, which plays a central role in both the flavor and delicate texture of these Kipferl. For this recipe, I proudly recommend and have teamed up with Bob’s Red Mill. In my experience, they consistently produce some of the best almond flour on the market, alongside many of my other go-to baking flours and whole grains.
Almond flour has become an indispensable staple in my pantry, and for good reason. Its versatility knows no bounds, lending itself beautifully to a wide array of baked goods including cookies, cakes, delicate pastries, and rich fillings. Beyond its wide application, almond flour brings unique benefits to baking. It imparts a wonderful, slightly nutty flavor that complements many desserts, and its fine texture contributes to a remarkably tender and moist crumb, a quality that is particularly desirable in cookies like these crescents. It also helps achieve that signature crispness around the edges while keeping the center soft and melt-in-your-mouth.
I find myself reaching for almond flour constantly in my kitchen. Most recently, it was a key ingredient in this delicious Cranberry Christmas Cake and last month’s exquisite Pear Frangipane Tart. To ensure its freshness and prolong its shelf life, I always store my almond flour in the freezer. When it’s time to bake, I simply take it out a little beforehand to allow it to come to room temperature, ensuring optimal mixing and baking results.
Mastering the Art of Almond Crescent Cookie Shaping: A Step-by-Step Guide
You might think the most challenging aspect of making almond crescent cookies is getting that perfect half-moon shape. While it requires a gentle touch, I promise you, it’s far easier than it sounds! The entire cookie dough comes together incredibly quickly, often in under 10 minutes, making it a surprisingly stress-free baking project.
For best results, I highly recommend using a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment. This makes the initial mixing process effortless. Begin by combining all your cookie dough ingredients. The mixture will appear quite crumbly and dry at first – don’t worry, this is exactly what you want! As the mixer continues to run on a low speed, gradually increasing to medium, the butter and other ingredients will properly incorporate, and the dough will transform into a smooth, cohesive mass that is just barely tacky to the touch. Avoid overmixing; stop once the dough has formed.
Once your dough is ready, the next step is shaping. First, divide the dough neatly in half. Take one half and gently roll it out on a clean surface into a log approximately 12 inches in length and about 1 inch in diameter. This uniform log is key to ensuring your cookies are consistently sized.
Using a sharp knife, divide this 12-inch log into twelve equal pieces, each roughly 1-inch wide. Now comes the fun part: shaping! Take each individual 1-inch piece and roll it gently between your palms into a slender 4-inch log. Then, using your fingertips, delicately curve each log into the iconic half-moon or crescent shape. A small tip for the perfect crescent: aim for the center to be slightly thicker than the tapered ends. This creates that classic plump-in-the-middle, delicate-at-the-tips look. Repeat this process with the remaining dough half.
Once all your cookies are beautifully shaped, arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving about an inch between each cookie. This is where the chill time comes in: you’ll want to refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. This step is not optional, it’s essential!
Baking Note: The Importance of Chilling Dough
Chilling the dough before baking serves several critical purposes that contribute to the perfect almond crescent cookie. Firstly, it firms up the butter in the dough, which helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. This ensures your lovely crescent shapes hold their form and don’t turn into flat puddles. Secondly, chilling allows the gluten in the flour to relax, resulting in a more tender and less crumbly cookie. Finally, it helps to meld the flavors, allowing the vanilla and almond extracts to fully permeate the dough, leading to a more delicious end product. So, resist the temptation to skip this vital step!
After their chilling period, these delicate cookies are ready for the oven. They bake relatively quickly, typically becoming perfectly done when their edges are just beginning to turn a pale golden color. The bottoms should be a lovely golden brown, while the tops will largely remain quite pale. This light bake ensures their tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for just a minute or two. This brief cooling period helps them firm up slightly, making them easier to handle. Then, while they are still wonderfully warm, gently roll them in your prepared powdered sugar mixture. The residual warmth from the cookies is essential for the powdered sugar to adhere properly, creating that signature consistent, snowy coating that clings beautifully to every curve. If the cookies cool too much, the sugar won’t stick as effectively, so timing is key here!
Why These Almond Crescent Cookies Will Become Your New Holiday Favorite
There are countless reasons why these Almond Crescent Cookies have earned a permanent spot on my holiday baking list, and why I believe they’ll quickly become a cherished tradition in your home too:
- Exquisite Texture: Each bite offers a delightful contrast – a light, crisp exterior that gives way to a tender, buttery crumb, creating a truly melt-in-your-mouth experience. This unique texture is a hallmark of perfectly baked Kipferl.
- Rich, Balanced Flavor Profile: The combination of quality almond flour, pure almond extract, and fragrant vanilla provides a deep, authentic almond flavor. The optional touch of ground cinnamon (or cardamom) adds a layer of warm spice that perfectly complements the nutty sweetness, making each cookie wonderfully aromatic and flavorful.
- Effortless Preparation: Despite their elegant appearance, the cookie dough comes together remarkably quickly, requiring just seven basic pantry staples. This simplicity makes them an ideal choice when you want homemade goodness without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Simple Elegance: Forget complicated decorations, fancy piping tips, or elaborate techniques. These cookies achieve their stunning look with nothing more than their beautiful crescent shape and a final, delicate dusting of powdered sugar. It’s understated elegance at its best.
- Exceptional Shelf Life: One of the best qualities of these crescent cookies is their impressive durability. While they are undoubtedly sublime fresh out of the oven, their flavor and texture hold up beautifully for a week or even longer when stored properly in an airtight container. This makes them perfect for making ahead of time during the busy holiday season.
- Infinitely Adaptable: These cookies are a fantastic canvas for your culinary creativity! Feel free to infuse them with different flavors such as citrus zest (lemon or orange are divine), various extracts (a hint of rose water or rum extract can be intriguing), or other warming spice blends. For an extra touch of indulgence, consider drizzling them with melted dark or white chocolate once they’ve fully cooled.
And did I mention that these delicious cookies make for an absolutely wonderful and thoughtful edible holiday gift? Package them in a pretty tin or box, and you have a homemade present that’s sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Happy baking, my friends!
Almond Crescent Cookies
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Equipment
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KitchenAid 5 Qt. Artisan Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 sticks (8 oz; 230 g) unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups (240 g) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup (100 g) Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
Rolling Sugar
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or ground cardamom
Instructions
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Combine all of the cookie dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Slowly combine over low speed, gradually increasing to medium speed, until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. It will be fairly crumbly and dry at first, but will become smooth as it mixes.
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Bring the dough together with your hands. Divide in half. Working with one dough half at a time, roll the dough into a roughly 1-inch wide log.
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Use a knife to divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces (roughly 1-inch x 1-inch in size).
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Roll each piece into a 4-inch log, then shape into a crescent moon shape, slightly tapered at each end. Transfer the shaped cookies to a parchment lined sheet pan (or other flat surface temporarily, if one will not fit in your refrigerator), setting them apart by an inch. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm.
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center position. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. The bottoms of the cookies should be golden brown, but they will be mostly pale in color.
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Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan on a cooling rack for 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the sifted powdered sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Gently roll the still warm cookies in the powdered sugar mixture. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. Once the cookies have cooled completely, use a fine-meshed sieve to dust the cookies with the remaining powdered sugar mixture.
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Store cookies in an airtight container, between sheets of wax paper, at room temperature for up to a week or longer.
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Tips for Success:
- Chilling the shaped cookies prior to baking is a crucial step that helps prevent them from spreading during baking and ensures they maintain their beautiful crescent shape. Do not be tempted to skip this step!
- Feel free to adapt and infuse these cookies to your liking: add fresh citrus zest (lemon or orange are wonderful), other delightful ground spice blends (ground cardamom is a truly exquisite option that pairs beautifully with almond), or for an extra touch of decadence, drizzle them with melted chocolate once completely cooled.