Kiefel Cookies Recipes

HUNGARIAN KIFLI COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and butter, cutting together with either two knives or a pastry cutter.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine sour cream, yeast, and sugar. Mix until well combined and let sit while yeast dissolves.
• Add yeast mixture into the flour mixture along with the vanilla and egg yolks. Mix dough together by hand until it is well combined. Split dough in half and wrap up in either plastic wrap or wax paper. Refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight.
• Right before dough comes out of refrigerator, combine ingredients for filling. Set aside.
• On a large cutting board, sprinkle 1/3 cup flour and 1/3 cup sugar. Roll out dough into a thin circle before cutting into 8 triangles.
• Place 1 tsp of filling on each triangle and roll up starting on the wider end. Place on a lined cookie sheet with the open end down and bend the cookie a bit so it looks like a crescent. Repeat with process for all of the triangles from both things of dough.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and serve.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COOKIES KIFFELS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, egg yolks and flour; beat until smooth.
• Shape into 1-inch balls; place in a container with waxed paper separating each layer.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• FOR THE FILLING, combine walnuts and 3 3/4 cups sugar (the mixture will be dry).
• In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into nut mixture.
• Add extracts and a few drops of water if necessary until filling reaches a spreading consistency.
• Place remaining sugar in a bowl; roll cream cheese balls in sugar until completely covered.
• Place a few balls at a time between two sheets of waxed paper.
• Roll balls into 2 1/2-inch circles.
• Gently spread about 2 teaspoons of filling over each.
• Roll up; place seam side down on ungreased baking sheets.
• Curve the ends slightly.
• Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool on wire racks.
• Yield: about 8 dozen.

HOLIDAY KIPFERL COOKIE

Steps:

• Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, granulated sugar and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and water. Add to almond butter mixture, and pulse until dough forms. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until easy to handle, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 325°. Divide dough into fourths. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into an 8-in. circle. Sprinkle with pecans and cranberries; lightly press into dough. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges from the wide end; place point side down 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents., Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Carefully roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks. Sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container.

HUNGARIAN KIFFLES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until very smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing just until combined. The dough will be quite moist, but not sticky.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and flatten into a square approximately 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 4 equal pieces and wrap each separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, a minimum of 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove one portion of the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a liberally floured surface.
• Dust the top of the dough with flour and cover with a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Working from the center toward the corners, roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch-thick square. It should measure about 9 inches.
• For best results, see our recipe notes below to learn how to roll your dough into a perfect square.
• Using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut your dough both lengthwise and crosswise into small squares.
• Your total yield will depend on how large you make them. We recommend 1-1/2-inches which will give you 36 kiffles per square of dough or about 12 dozen total.
• The best way to keep the size even is to use a ruler and mark all 4 sides of the dough square at intervals with the tip of a knife. You can use the handle of a spatula to guide you as you cut to keep your lines straight as well (similar to drawing straight lines on a sheet of paper).
• Working as quickly as possible, place a small mound of filling (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) in the center of each square. If the filling flavor you're using is relatively smooth you can spoon it into a small freezer bag, snip off a tiny bottom corner and squeeze the filling onto the squares. This works particularly well with the poppy and almond flavors.
• Lift two opposite corners of the dough over the filling and gently pinch them together. Fold that "point" over to one side, moisten the tip of your finger with a bit of water and smooth it down gently on one side of the kiffle. This prevent the kiffles from popping open as they bake.
• Important Note: The various filling flavors spread a bit differently during baking so you may want to fill a few "test" kiffles and bake them to gauge the right amount of filling for each type.
• Arrange the kiffles 1 inch apart on the parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake until barely golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then carefully transfer the kiffles to cooling racks.
• Repeat the process with the remaining 3 portions of dough, using different filling flavors if desired.
• Store kiffles between layers of waxed paper in a tightly closed container and refrigerate. Bring them to room temperature (30 minutes out of the fridge), arrange on a plate and dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving. It's not advisable to top them with powdered sugar before storing.
• Makes 8 to 12 dozen

KIEFEL COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Let stand in 3 lumps for 2 hours.
• 2. Roll thin on lots of sugar. Cut in 3 inch squares.
• 3. Put 1 teaspoon jam in center of square.
• 4. Round bottom of corner to top corner, then form crescent.
• 5. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

KIFLE - YUGOSLAVIAN WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Put sifted flour into large mixing bowl. Mix in yeast. Cut in margarine with pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
• Add egg yolks and sour cream; mix well. Form into a ball. On lightly floured board, knead until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Wrap in wax paper. Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour.
• Combine walnuts, sugar and vanilla extract. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Set aside.
• On a board sprinkled with confectioners sugar, roll each part of dough into an 8-inch circle; cut each into 8 pie-shape wedges.
• Fill wide end of each wedge with 1 tablespoon walnut filling. Roll up from wide end to point. Place on greased baking sheet, curving ends to form crescent shape.
• Bake at 375 degrees F about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Dust with confectioners sugar.

GERMAN KIPFELS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Put flour on counter.
• Make hole in the middle to put other ingredients.
• Add yeast, water, salt, vanilla, sugar, eggs, baking powder and butter to middle of flour.
• Knead dough until all ingredients are mixed. (Alternatively, use Kitchenaid with paddle blade to combine ingredients. First cream together butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla; whisk together dry ingredients and add to wet alternating with water.).
• Roll a fourth of the dough out on to the counter to 1/8" thickiness (Make sure the dough is rolled very thin).
• Cut dough into 3x3 inch squares using a pizza cutter.
• Put 5 chocolate chips in the middle.
• Roll dough from corner. Cookie should look like a crescent roll. Make sure to pinch the dough together so they don't unroll when cooking.
• Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
• Let cool for ~10 minutes.
• Roll in powdered sugar using a zip lock bag.
• Put cookies in container/ziplock and store in the freezer for best taste.

HUNGARIAN KIFFLES COOKIES/DATE NUT FILLING

Steps:

• 1. Combine dates with sugar and water. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly (about 5 minutes).
• 2. Add 1/2 cup nuts and mix well.
• 3. ***Add a little more water to filling if needed, to make a soft paste consistency.

GRAM'S HUNGARIAN KIFFLE

Steps:

• 1. 1) Cream butter and cream cheese till fluffy; gradually blending in sugar.
• 2. 2) Stir together flour and salt, stir into a creamed mixture. OR...like me, you could just use a food processor for this step to form the dough.
• 3. 3) Divide in half and roll with your hands to form a "Ball" and Cover; chilling dough several hours or overnight. Be advised; the less you handle the dough the more delicate and flakier it will be when it's baked.
• 4. 4) On lightly floured surface, roll each portion into rectangles, THEN cut them down into about 2 1/2-inch squares. (There WILL be "odd triangle" sizes left. You'll USE them too! - Kiffles are a ROLLED, 'cresent-shape".)
• 5. 5) Place a dollop (about one rounded teaspoon) of filling in the center of each square.
• 6. 6) Lift up two diagonal corners of the dough to center, pinching together to seal into crescents.
• 7. 7) Preheat oven to 375°.
• 8. 8) Place dough on ungreased cookie sheet. (I'd STILL spray them with BUTTER FLAVORED PAM! - Better 'safe' than STUCK!) Bake till firm until golden brown (about 12-15 minutes).
• 9. 9) Cool on wire racks. Sift powdered sugar over slightly warm pastries.
• 10. 10) Store loosely covered in a cool dry place.