Walnut Vanilla Crescents (Vaníliás Kifli) – Soft Hungarian Christmas Cookies ❄️✨
- artisanistshop
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Walnut vanilla crescents – also known in Hungary as vaníliás kifli or hókifli – are one of the most delicate and beloved Christmas cookies. They’re soft, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and lightly coated in snowy powdered sugar.
This recipe comes straight from my mother’s well-worn, handwritten recipe notebook, the one I “inherited” and still treasure. These cookies were always part of our family Christmas table, and now I make them every year with the same love she did.
Simple ingredients, elegant shape, and a beautiful winter aroma… these little crescents make every holiday table special.
Ingredients (Makes about 60 cookies)
400 g all-purpose flour
300 g butter (softened)
150 g ground walnuts
70 g powdered sugar
30 g vanilla sugar
For coating:
Powdered sugar + vanilla sugar, mixed to taste
Instructions
1. Make the dough
Crumble the flour with the butter using your fingers.Add the ground walnuts, powdered sugar, and vanilla sugar.Knead quickly into a smooth dough.
2. Chill
Divide the dough into two portions.Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.(Work with one portion at a time; keep the second one chilled.)
3. Shape the crescents
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into long, thin ropes.Cut into 5 cm pieces and bend each piece into a crescent shape.Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).Bake the crescents for 12–14 minutes, until the edges just begin to color.They should NOT brown.
Repeat with the second portion of dough.
5. Coat with sugar
When the cookies are warm (not hot but not fully cooled), gently roll them in the vanilla powdered sugar mixture.Let them cool completely.
Total Time: ~1.5 hours
Yield: ~60 small crescents
Tips for Perfect Walnut Vanilla Crescents
✨ Don’t overbake — this keeps them soft and delicate.✨ Use finely ground walnuts for the best texture.✨ Warm cookies hold sugar better, but handle them very gently.✨ They become even softer and more flavorful the next day.✨ Store them in a metal tin or airtight container for maximum freshness.
Storage
These cookies keep well for 7–10 days in an airtight container.They can also be frozen — thaw at room temperature (they stay delicious!).
Why I love this recipe ❤️
Because it’s simple, elegant, nostalgic, and always a success.Because it fills the kitchen with the warm scent of Christmas.Because it’s the kind of recipe that connects generations — from my mother’s kitchen to mine, and now to yours.
If you try this recipe, let me know how your crescents turned out — they’re always a favourite in our home. For more traditional Hungarian Christmas baking, explore my other recipes on the blog, and don’t forget to watch the full step-by-step video on my YouTube channel.
More to read:
Subscribe on YouTube for more holiday recipes and cooking inspiration
Comments