Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Vanilla Walnut Crescent Cookies are a very famous European style of cookie, similar to shortbread. Baked often during the Christmas holidays, it’s a great make-ahead Christmas cookie you can start today!
- In this post, you will learn how to make vanillekipferl step-by-step, what to consider when making this kind of cookie, and how to bake and store it properly.
What Are Vanillekipferl?
Vanilla crescent cookies, originally named Vanillekipferl, are delicate, buttery, crescent-shaped cookies dusted with vanilla sugar. These cookies are a beloved holiday treat in Austria, Germany, and other parts of Europe, including Croatia. The real, original vanilla crescent cookies are made without eggs and baking powder, which makes them quite similar to shortbread cookies, but they do have nut flour in them, which reminds me of raspberry linzer cookies.
We love them to bake and eat, especially during Christmas and Advent. This European classic is a lovely, nostalgic holiday treat I invite you to try. What I love about these cookies is that you can make them quite ahead before Christmas!
Ingredients for Vanilla Walnut Crescent Cookies
- Flour – use all-purpose flour for these cookies.
- Butter – you need unsalted, room-temperature butter, cut into cubes.
- Sugar – for these cookies, you will need powdered sugar and vanilla sugar. One part of the powdered sugar goes into the dough, and the other part is used for dusting the cookies.
- Walnuts – ground walnuts are an essential ingredient in this recipe. You can replace them with ground almonds or hazelnuts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Check out the recipe card at the end of this post. It has the exact amounts of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions! If you have a kitchen scale, I recommend using metric measurements.
STEP 1: Make the cookie dough and chill
Mix softened butter, powdered, and vanilla sugar until creamy. Add flour and ground walnuts, then combine into a dough (it will be crumbly, that’s ok). Divide into two logs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
STEP 2: Shape into crescents and bake
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) and line two trays with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 11g balls, shape them into sausages, and form crescents, then place them on the trays.
STEP 3: Let cool and dust with powdered sugar
Bake for 10 minutes, until slightly golden on the edges. Cool for 2-3 minutes, then dust or roll in powdered sugar.
Tips for Perfect Vanilla Crescent Cookies
- Don’t roll the end of the cookies too thin, otherwise, they could darken too much during baking.
- If the dough feels too sticky to shape, or it cracks during shaping into crescents, let it chill for a little longer in the fridge.
- I made a lot of vanillekipferl in my life and I found out that it’s best to shape them on a flat surface lightly covered with some flour using the palm of your hand.
- As with any other type of shortbread cookie, these cookies can overbake easily. Every oven bakes differently, that’s why you need to keep an eye on them the whole time during the baking process.
- Leave some space on the baking sheet between the cookies because they will spread in the oven.
FAQ
Yes! You can prepare the dough up to 2 days in advance and freeze it for up to 3 months. Just let it thaw in the fridge before shaping and baking.
While walnuts are traditional, you can substitute them with ground hazelnuts or almonds.
It can break while shaping if your dough is too soft or too warm. Make sure the dough is well-chilled and don’t handle it too much. If necessary, put it back in the fridge to chill more before making the cookies.
Store these cookies in a metal cookie tin or airtight container in a dry place, at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Vanilla Walnut Crescent Cookies as Holiday Gift
- Gift idea: these cookies make a fantastic gift for the holidays. Pack them in a cute tin or glass jar with a ribbon for a personalized touch. Follow my tips from the post about 8 edible Christmas food gifts.
- Packaging tips: if you’re gifting them, make sure the cookies are completely cooled before storing them. Line the tin with parchment paper to keep them from breaking.
The combination of butter, vanilla, and walnuts creates a melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s simply irresistible. Whether you’re baking these cookies for your own family or sharing them as gifts, they are sure to be a hit. So, roll up your sleeves, grab your ingredients, and start baking – these cookies are waiting to bring joy to you and your loved ones!
More Christmas Cookies Recipes
- CRANBERRY PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES
- RASPBERRY LINZER COOKIES
- GINGERBREAD MAN COOKIES
- ORANGE CARDAMOM CHOCOLATE COOKIES
If you try this recipe, leave a comment and rating on this post or tag @foodandmoodblog in your posts on social media. For video recipes, subscribe to my YouTube channel!
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Vanilla Walnut Crescent Cookies
Ingredients
FOR COOKIE DOUGH
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g butter (room temperature)
- 90 g powdered sugar
- 15 g vanilla sugar
- 100 g walnuts (ground)
FOR DUSTING
- 100 g powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl, add softened butter and work it with a spatula. Mix in powdered and vanilla sugar until creamy.
- Then, add flour and ground walnuts, combining all ingredients into a dough first with a spatula, then with your hands. The mixture will feel and look crumbly at first, but that's totally fine.
- Shape the dough into a ball, divide it into 2 logs, wrap it with plastic foil, and refrigerate minimally 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Take a piece of the dough (each ball should be about 11 g), roll it into a ball, and then into a sausage. Do this quickly so the cookie dough doesn't soften too much. Shape each one into a crescent and place on the baking tray.
- Bake one tray at a time for about 10 minutes. The vanilla crescent cookies shouldn't brown during baking, only get slightly golden on the edges.
- After baking, let them cool down for 2-3 minutes on a baking tray, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar or roll each cookie in powdered sugar, whatever option you prefer.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on ingredients data and should be used for informational purposes only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on factors such as portion size, preparation methods and ingredients used.
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