As proud as we Austrians are of our traditional baked goods, it is of course called "Vanillekipferl" (vanilla croissant). "Gipfel" (summit) is a Southwest German expression and in Austria and Bavaria it tends to lead to confusion and possibly even a wink, but certainly not to our various Kipferln. The typical Austrian croissant is usually a yeast dough croissant, but the vanilla croissant is clearly a Christmas biscuit made from almond shortcrust pastry, which melts in your mouth with real vanilla.

If you trace the history of the vanilla crescent back to its origins, it was first mentioned in writing in the 12th century. However, according to legend, in the 18th century Marie Antoinette was significantly involved in the creation with her fondness for sweets, whereby many legends have been formed about Marie Antoinette and only a few are based on well-founded facts. What is certain, however, is that the croissant shape is a typical Baden pastry shape and that the crescent-shaped shape of the croissant dates back to the Turkish occupation of Vienna, for the first time in 1529 and for the second time between 1679 and 1683. They may have been invented because of the joy at the departure of the Turks, and that doesn't seem too far-fetched either, as the shape is reminiscent of the Turkish sickle.

But how did vanilla come to Vienna? Vanilla is a spice that is obtained from the fermented capsules of a climbing orchid and this was and is not found in Europe. The Bourbon vanilla that we know of comes mainly from Africa, which also means that this ingredient, especially at that time, together with sugar and salt, could almost be weighed in gold and no citizen who was not assigned to the nobility could was able to afford this noble spice. It was not until the invention of vanillin at the end of the 19th century that vanilla crescents began to conquer and find their way into middle-class households.

Nowadays it is impossible to imagine the Christmas bakery without it. The size, the shape, but of course also the taste and degree of melting are much-discussed parameters in the kitchens, living rooms and parlors of our country. Almost every family, it seems, has its own criteria for how the vanilla crescent should be. What they have in common, however, is the feeling of tradition, of coming together, of security based on our beloved vanilla crescent. It's not just a croissant. Where is a Kipferl in Austria ever just a "Kipferl"?

Vanilla crescent recipe

Ingredients:

300 grams of butter

100 g powdered sugar

400 g flour (smooth)

2 egg yolks

50 g almonds (ground)

50 grams of hazelnuts

vanilla sugar

Powdered sugar and vanilla sugar mix for sprinkling

Knead all the ingredients into a dough and then chill it for at least 1 hour.

Form the dough into even rolls, cut into pieces about 1 cm thick and form croissants from them.

Bake at 170 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately after they come out of the oven, dust with the vanilla and icing sugar mixture and leave to cool.