Vanilla Kipfel
by. Yati Cristofori
How to make:
Mix flour, fresh butter, almonds & sugar.
We do it on a big wooden board, but you can do it wherever you are used to working flour and dough, even in a bowl, perhaps.
You mix it all with your hands until it's nice and smooth and the same consistency and color throughout.
Cut off a big piece from the dough. Roll it out with your hand (the warmth will make the butter soft) about the size of a sausage. Then cut off smaller pieces each the size of potato dumplings.
Then roll out each of them (this is the most time-consuming part) between the palms of your hands, so that the center is thicker, and the ends taper off.
Put each kipfel onto the cookie sheet, and fold it into the shape of a crescent moon.
Bake at low heat (about 160-170° depending on how strong your oven is) for about 15-20 minutes.
They must remain white. If they start turning brown, take them out immediately.
You will probably have to bake them in two or three batches.
Spread the vanilla sugar over a big piece of paper, on a table. Wait a few seconds, or the kipfel will break as you lift them off the baking sheet.
Then, one at a time, lift them and make them fall top-side DOWN into the sugar. Cover with sugar. Since the cookies will still be warm, the sugar will stick to them. Be careful because it's very easy to break them at this point.
Note: A day or two in advance, put a fresh vanilla bean in a 1-kilo jar, and fill it up with regular sugar, so that the sugar will absorb the vanilla flavor and become vanilla sugar. Close well, to preserve the aroma.