Vanilla Crescent Cookies (without Vanilla Bean)
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These German vanilla crescent cookies (Vanillekipferl) are made with a blend of all-purpose and almond flour, vanilla extract (no vanilla beans), and two sticks of butter so they stay soft and tender for days!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or substitute one scraped vanilla bean pod)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour (see note below)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened butter on medium speed until it’s light and creamy, after 1-2 minutes.
- Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until it’s fluffy and pale yellow, after about 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt, all purpose flour, and almond flour. Mix on low speed until it forms a crumbly dough.
- Separate the dough in half onto two separate sheets of plastic cling wrap. Use your hands to form the dough into logs, each about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each dough log tightly in the plastic cling wrap. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Working in two batches to bake the cookies, take one dough log out of the fridge, and unwrap it from the plastic wrap. Use a sharp kitchen knife to slice the log into ½ inch circular pieces.
- Gently squish each circle of dough and bend the ends towards each other to form a crescent, and arrange them on the baking sheet spread out 1-inch apart.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bottom edges turn golden. While the first batch of cookies bakes, shape the other log of chilled dough, then bake them on a second baking sheet or once the first batch of cookies have cooled a bit.
- Sift powdered sugar on the cookies right when they come out of the oven. Let them cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool for another 15 minutes before serving.
The dough should remain cold, so the butter doesn’t get a chance to warm and soften before the cookies hit the oven. Therefore, it’s easiest to work in batches.
The dough will likely crack as you shape the crescents, which is totally normal. Due to the high butter content, all you have to do is gently squish the dough back together to seal any cracks.
Notes
- Almond Flour: Both blanched almond flour and whole almond meal work in the dough. The former gets you lighter colored cookies, while the latter imparts a nuttier flavor.
- Storing: Cool the Vanillekipferl completely, then store them in an airtight container or cookie tin for up to several weeks, as the flavor only improves after a day or so.
- History: Legend says the cookie dates back to 17th-century Vienna, where the crescent shape celebrated a victory over the Ottomans, whose flag featured a crescent moon.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookie (of 24)Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 26mgPotassium: 14mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 237IUCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
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