By
Rose Fooks
published
Vanillekipferl is a famous Austrian crescent-shaped vanilla biscuit and this special recipe comes from our Deputy Food Editor's grandmother.
Vanillekipferl biscuits are an Austrian specialty also known as vanilla crescents. They are a great accompaniment to a cup of tea and if you shape them just right, they can hang on the handle of your teacup. Vanillekipferl biscuits are a little fiddly to make as there is a lot of shaping to do. These biscuits are traditionally eaten at Christmas but they can be enjoyed all year round.
Ingredients
- 175g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 175g plain flour
- 90g caster sugar
- 90g ground almonds
- 1tsp vanilla essence
- About 100g caster sugar for sprinkling
WEIGHT CONVERTER
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Method
- Preheat the oven to 175C, Gas 4. Put all of the ingredients apart from the sugar for sprinkling into a food processor and blitz until it forms a dough. If you have time chill in the fridge for 10 mins, this will make the dough less sticky and easier to shape.
- Take lumps of the mixture and use your fingers to carefully roll into long sausages about 1 cm thick. Break into 8cm long strips and arrange these into crescents on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Leave ample space for spreading between them. You may need to cook them in batches. Cook for 8-10 mins but keeping a close watch as they have a tendency to burn in the blink of an eye.
- While the biscuits are still warm sprinkle over the sugar. If you have vanilla-infused sugar use this, otherwise caster sugar is lovely too. Once firm enough to handle transfer onto a cooling rack. When cool transfer to a tin.
Top tip for making Vanillekipferl:
- To make vanilla sugar store caster sugar in an airtight jar with a vanilla pod. Over time the flavour of the vanilla will infuse with the sugar. If you have a pod that you have already scraped the seeds out for another recipe, this is a wonderful way to use the leftover pod
- Though not traditional, you could also sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if you like
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