Simple and sweet, with the flavor of vanilla sugar and a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, these lovely little crescent cookies are easy to make and more than easy to enjoy. They’re a shortbread type of cookie, with plenty of butter but no egg or leavening agent, so they have a rich, crumbly bite. The flavors are subtle and come mainly from the almond flour and snow-like vanilla sugar, but their balance creates a cookie that’s nearly irresistible.
Vanillekipferl originally come from Austria but are well known throughout Europe, showing up in Germany, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovakia. While they’re especially popular around Christmas, in many countries you can find them year-round… and if you can’t, you can easily make them yourself!
These can be made with ground walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds. We prefer almonds for their flavor and the light finish they give the cookie, but it really is just a matter of preference – they all give a great end result. The dough is shaped quickly by hand, no cutters or special equipment needed. In fact, the only ‘special equipment’ you really need is vanilla sugar, which is a signature of this cookie.
You can buy vanilla sugar, but you can also easily make your own to keep on hand. The simplest method is to mix the seeds from a vanilla bean with granulated sugar, but if you don’t have vanilla beans around or don’t want to invest in them, you can also get the same effect with the more economical vanilla extract. Just pulse together some vanilla extract and granulated sugar in a food processor and spread it out onto a plate to dry. It will clump a bit as it dries, but you can then return it to the food processor to eliminate any clumps that have formed.
Vanillekipferl originate from Vienna in Austria and are traditionally made at Christmas. They are very well known in Europe and are often for sale in Viennese coffee shops and bakeries, especially during Christmas time.
The history of the Kipferl dates back to at least the 13th century in Austria, where it was a staple in local bakeries and patisseries. These pastries were made from a yeasted wheat dough, resulting in a delightful combination of flakiness and softness.
Europeans point to a charming story to explain the history of this cookie: during the Turkish Occupation in the 17th century, they say Viennese bakers working in the night saved their city from a secret invasion. The cookie they created to commemorate their victory was shaped the half moon of the Turkish flag.
If you use too much butter, the cookies will end up flat and greasy. And if you use too little flour, the amount of butter and sugar will be proportionally too high, meaning the cookies will spread for the aforementioned reasons.
Relations between Austria and Germany are close due to their shared history and culture, with German being the official language and Germans being the major ethnic group of both countries (although historically regarded as Germans, today the vast majority of Austrians do not identify as German).
It is widely understood that the croissant of today is a descendent of the 'kipferl' (or kipfel) - an Austrian, crescent-shaped pastry that resembles a thinner, denser croissant made with a generous amount of butter and often served topped with sugar and almonds.
Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.
In upstate New York and New England, it's commonly referred to as “half-moons.” while the Midwest often calls them “harlequins”. Germany also calls these treats “Amerikaner”.
Lebkuchen was invented by monks in Franconia, Germany, in the 13th century. Lebkuchen bakers were recorded as early as 1296 in Ulm, and 1395 in Nürnberg (Nuremberg).
Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.
Too much butter makes cookies turn out just as you'd expect: very buttery. This batch of cookies was cakey in the middle, but also airy throughout, with crispy edges. They were yellow and slightly puffy in the middle, and brown and super thin around the perimeter.
Try using baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking soda encourages spreading while baking powder puffs the cookies up. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would use 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking powder. Caution: This could result in an unwanted flavor shift.
Most of where they differ is in the accent and vocabulary. And there are a lot of key vocabulary differences in Austrian vs German, including how to say hello, what you call a tomato and what you say when you order a coffee.
There are strong social, traditional, confessional and linguistic similarities between Bavarians and Austrians (except Vorarlberg) most probably derived from the same tribal ancestry (Bavarian language - Wikipedia; Bavarians - Wikipedia).
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