German Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies

Every December I make these Vanillekipferl (German Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies)

When I lived in Germany I remember the German Christmas Markets and, of course, the food.  Germany has so many types of Christmas cookies: Lebkuchen (German gingerbread); Pfeffernüsse (cookies prepared with ground cloves, cinnamon, and allspice); Zimsterne (cinnamon stars); Stöllen (German style fruit cake) and the list goes on.  When Victor and I were married and celebrating our first Christmas together as husband and wife I wanted to incorporate the German culture, something that our kids would remember and hopefully pass on.  It was also very difficult to find any German and European foods to buy…Aldi had not arrived yet.  That was seven years ago this year, and every December I make German Christmas cookies, I try to make at least 4-5 kinds of cookies for all of us to enjoy.

For more German Christmas Cookies:

Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Stars)

Butter Spritz Cookies

This year when I made the Vanillekipferl, Isabelle my five-year-old had the idea to sprinkle the cookies with cinnamon sugar when they come out of the oven instead of the traditional powdered sugar or vanilla sugar.  Do you want to know what?  They came out awesome with cinnamon sugar, the cinnamon matched up so nicely with the almonds…hmmm future chef?

5 from 3 votes

Vanillekipferl (German Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies)

Vanillekipferl (German Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies)- A German Christmas cookie prepared with almond flour and vanilla beans.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:1 hour hr

Cook Time:10 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 7 oz all purpose flour
• 1 pinch baking powder
• 3 1/2 oz sugar
• 1 TBSP clear vanilla extract
• 1/2 ea vanilla bean, deseeded
• 2 ea egg yolks, large
• 6 oz unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 oz. almond flour

For Sprinkling:

• Vanilla Sugar or Cinnamon Sugar

Instructions

• Gather all ingredients and equipment.
• In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and thoroughly mix.
• Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix well.
• Next, add the almond flour and mix for about 2 minutes.
• Add the flour and baking powder mix slowly until incorporated and then mix on high for 1 minute.
• Divide the dough in two portions, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F, if convection oven preheat to 325°F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
• Shape one portion of dough into a cylinder about 2 inches round.  Cut the dough into pieces about 1/4 inch long.  Form the pieces into finger-thick cylinders and make the ends slightly thinner at the ends.  Shape them into crescents and place them on the cookie sheet. 
• Work the second portion of dough the same way.  
• Bake for 10 minutes.  After baking, place the cookies right next to each other and sprinkle with vanilla sugar, powdered sugar, or cinnamon sugar while the cookies are still warm. 
• Cookies will keep for three weeks in an airtight container.

Notes

To make vanilla sugar, store vanilla beans and/or deseeded pods in granulated sugar for a few days in an airtight container.

This recipe will make about 30 cookies all depending on the size of the crescents.  

The recipe is prepared by using a scale, not with cups.

Formula adapted from Dr. Oetker.

 

 

Servings: 30 cookies

Calories: 96kcal

Author: Stacey