Sylvia’s Vanillekipferln – Almond Vanilla Crescents

As you know, I have a strong passion for and connection to food and cooking since I was a little girl. My dearly beloved late grandmother was my cooking coach. She mentored me on cooking techniques and skills of the kitchen. Here I share with you a treasured recipe that is close to my heart. I baked these delicious Viennese sweets with my grandmother and mother when I was a child of three years young. My grandmother was influenced by many cuisines, including Viennese cooking and she gave me a delightful little cookbook titled “The Viennese Cuisine I Love” by Jules Bond. Its pages include her notes and markings and most are falling from the binding with sticky tape holding them in place. She adapted her own special recipe for these delightful biscuits. I hope it is as easy to follow and successful in your kitchen as it is in mine. Every time I make these, I cannot help but smile and reflect upon fond memories of being with her in her kitchen. These beautiful Viennese biscuits are so easy to make and a perfect gift for family and friends this festive season. Enjoy! Sylvia xx

METHOD
Please make these delicate biscuits using your hands!

• Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the butter pieces and rub it, with your hands, into the flour with the vanilla essence (if not using vanilla sugar) until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add the ground almonds and caster sugar. Mix with your hands to form a firm dough.
• Knead the dough briefly, then roll into a sausage shape.
• Slice off teaspoon size pieces approx. 15g each.
• Roll each of these into a small sausage shape about 3.5-4cm long and 1-1.5cm thick.
• Gently pinch the ends and curve them around to form a crescent.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Bake the crescents for 30 minutes in preheated oven. They should be barely starting to colour.
• Meanwhile, dredge a sheet of baking paper with some of the sifted icing sugar.
• As soon as you remove the biscuits from the oven, gently place them on the icing sugar with a palette knife and then thickly dust with more sifted icing sugar over the top.
• Do not roll the hot biscuits in the icing sugar as they have a tendency to break! Apply the icing sugar gently.
• Leave them to cool on the baking paper.
• Once cool, serve with tea or coffee. They are a delicious delightful sweet treat!

Thank you to my Grandmother Heti. xx

Enjoy a safe and happy festive season! Sylvia xx