Vanillekipferl

Vanillekipferl are small, crescent-shaped butter biscuits, traditionally baked at Christmas in Austria and widely made across Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Their character comes from a heavy coating of vanilla sugar applied while they are still warm.

History

These biscuits are associated with Vienna, where they have long been a fixture of the Christmas baking season. Their crescent shape is often linked to the Turkish crescent and the Habsburg victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, but this is a popular tradition rather than a documented fact, and it should be treated as a legend.

The dough is demanding. It contains a large amount of butter, so it becomes very soft and must be shaped quickly with cool hands. Early versions used walnuts, while almonds or hazelnuts are also common today. Once baked, the biscuits are very fragile, and they must be rolled in the vanilla sugar mixture while still hot from the oven.

Culture

In Austria and Germany, vanillekipferl are part of the range of biscuits baked during Advent, the period before Christmas, and they are served to guests and set out among the festive sweets at home. In Vienna they are sold in coffee houses and bakeries and can be found outside the holiday season too. Hungary has its own version, vaniliás kifli, and the Danube Swabian diaspora keeps the custom of baking them as part of family Christmas traditions.