Vanillekipferl are crescent-shaped sugar cookies originating from Vienna, Austria, and are popular in Austria, Hungary, and Germany. They are made with flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, and nuts, and are often dusted with powdered sugar or dipped in chocolate. Legend has it that they were created to celebrate the defeat of the Turkish army in Vienna in 1683. The croissant is said to have been inspired by the vanillekipferl and was created by French chefs. They are a popular holiday treat and a way to celebrate Austro-Hungarian culture.
Vanillekipferl are crescent-shaped sugar cookies commonly found in Austria, Hungary, and Germany. They go by many other names, including vanilla kipferl, Wiener vanille kipferl, and Viennese crescent cookies. As some of their monikers suggest, the cookies are strongly associated with the city of Vienna, where they originated, according to legend. They are appreciated, however, all over the world by immigrants from the countries where they are traditional dishes. Cookies are also said to be the forerunners of a more familiar food: the croissant.
Basically, the ingredients of vanillekipferl are the same as for a sugar cookie. They include flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla, along with a leavening agent. Cookies often have peanuts for flavor – the most common nuts used in these cookies are almonds and hazelnuts. They are often served dusted with powdered sugar or dipped in chocolate. The most distinctive feature of the vanillekipferl is their shape: they are formed into a crescent.
A legend about the origin of the vanillekipferl is a story of triumph from the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The story goes that when the empire’s army defeated the Turkish army in Vienna on September 12, 1683, the city’s bakers celebrated by transforming the famous sugary biscuits, called kipferl, into crescent shapes that mimicked the crescent moons that characterized the turkish flag. After the defeat, the Turks fled, leaving behind the first sack of coffee beans to reach Vienna. The battle is then credited with establishing Viennese coffeehouses, the places where crescent cookies found a home.
The croissant can be the vanillakipferl with a French twist. The biscuit was introduced to Paris by August Zang, an Austrian army officer who moved to France and established a bakery on Paris’s Rue de Richelieu in about 1839. It is said that French chefs were inspired by its traditional Austrian cuisine. They recreated crescent cookies in flaked shape, creating the croissant, which gets its name from the French word for crescent.
Vanillekipferl is a popular creation in Austrian, Hungarian and German homes around the Christmas holidays. Immigrants celebrate their heritage by baking cookies with their families. They also share their traditional recipes with others in their new countries as a way to share their culture. Eating the crescent cookie is a way to appreciate Austro-Hungarian culture and celebrate the region’s history.
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