Hungarian Pastry: Kipfel

Here is a recipe I came across.

Ingredients:

• 2-1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 7/8 cup butter or Margarine
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 teaspoons vanilla sugar
• 1¼ cups ground almonds

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt and the flour. Cut in the butter or margarine, and mix in with your hands
2. Add the confectioners’ sugar, the egg, the vanilla sugar, and the ground almonds to the flour mixture. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
3. Divide the dough into several parts. Make rolls that are approximately 1 inch thick. Cut the rolls into 1 inch pieces, and bend the pieces into the shape of a semicircle (just like a croissant). Place the kipferl on a baking tray, and leave them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes
4. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 15 minutes. When done, remove kipfel carefully from the tray
5. While still warm, dip the kipfel in a mixture of confectioners’ sugar and vanilla sugar.

Don’t forget to send us a sample. The KITCHENer Rebbe!!

COMMENTS

Chana wrote: I tried making this Kipfel, and ended up tossing the whole mixture in the trash. It was a disaster. I could not get the flour and the butter to make the dough. I thought I followed the directions carefully, what could I have done wrong, and what should I do to try to correct whatever I did.. Any suggestions ?

Harvey replied:

I don’t know what happened since I wasn’t at the scene of the crime ;-) Here is a different recipe which I know others have had good luck with. Please let me know how they turn out.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar, ground
• 1¾ to 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup ground unblanched almonds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Icing sugar

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add ½ a cup flour at a time to butter. Then add the nuts, vanilla essence and salt. Continue to beat until dough becomes slightly stiff. You may add more flour if needed.
3. Shape dough into a ball, wrap well and refrigerate for an hour.
4. Pinch off walnut-size pieces of the chilled dough; place them on floured board. Roll each one into a strip 1″ wide x ½” thick. Shape into crescents
5. Arrange on baking sheets covered with baking paper at least ½” apart.
6. Bake in a preheated 350°F hot oven for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
7. Cool about 5 minutes and dust with icing sugar.

Ethel wrote:

Harvey, I appreciate your answering my query about Hungarian Kipfel, but as I stated in my request, it is a yeast dough and the recipe you printed doesn’t have any yeast. Alas, my family won’t have any for this Rosh Hashanah and Break Fast but perhaps all is not lost for next year.

Harv responded:

Sorry, I don’t. But my friend Lisa did a bit of research on the Internet and found two recipes, listed below. But I haven’t tried them out to be able to verify how good they are. If you do try them, please let me know!

Hungarian Kipfel

Yields 100 kipfel

This recipe makes a lot of cookies so you may want to freeze some dough for later use.

Rolling Mixture:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Combine ingredients.

Filling:

• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup ground walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine ingredients.

Dough:

• 4 cups flour
• 4½ teaspoons yeast
• 1½ cups butter, cut into 1 -inch chunks
• 3 large egg yolks, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F ten minutes before baking. Grease cookie sheets.
2. Combine flour and yeast with butter at medium speed with electric mixer until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Mix egg yolks with vanilla and salt and add to dough. Beat in sour cream. Dough should be smooth. Add additional flour if needed.
4. Divide into 10 pieces. Chill 1 hour.
5. Roll each ball into circle 1/8-inch thick on lightly floured surface using Rolling Mixture. Cut into 10 wedges. Work with 1 piece of dough at a time, keeping remainder chilled.
6. Spread ½ teaspoon filling on wide end of each triangle and roll up. Place on sheet and bake 25 minutes or until just golden brown.
7. Cool and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

(Found on foodreference.com, from Divine Kosher Cuisine: Catering to Family and Friends by Rise’ Routenberg, Barbara Wasser)

German Tea Kipfel

About 4 dozen

These yeast rolls, a German favorite, are usually filled with chopped nuts, dried or candied fruit, jam, or other fillings.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast (1 pkg)
• ¼ cup warm water
• ¼ cup scalded milk, COOLED to lukewarm
• ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 2 to 2¼ cups all purpose flour

For Filling and Topping:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup chopped dark seedless raisins
• 3/4 cup finely chopped almonds (divided)
• 1/3 cup chopped candied pineapple

Instructions:

1. Soften the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl.
2. Mixing until smooth, blend in the scalded lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, egg yolks, butter, and half of the flour. Mix in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface.
3. Knead until smooth and elastic, using additional flour if necessary. Put into a greased deep bowl; turn dough to bring greased surface to top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
4. Punch down; roll out dough into a rectangle ¼ inch thick. Beat egg whites until stiff, not dry, peaks are formed. Spread HALF OF THE EGG WHITES on dough surface (reserve remaining half for topping). Sprinkle with a mixture of the raisins, ½ cup of the almonds, and the pineapple. Cut into 2½ inch squares, then cut each square diagonally in half. Bring triangle corners to center; pinch to seal and place on greased baking sheets.
5. Top with a mixture of the reserved egg white and almonds, Cover; let rise again until very light, about 45 minutes.
6. Bake at 375°F. 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

(From The Cutting Board forum, source listed as CAI The Canadian Family Cookbook)

Bobbie wrote: one of your readers asked for a yeast kipfel recipe. It always surprises people when they find out that there is no cheese in it:

Lemon Dipped Kiplach

• 2½ lbs. flour
• 1 lb. margarine
• 4 eggs
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 oz. yeast
• 1½ cups water
• 1 Tablespoon salt

Instructions:

1. Mix all; knead well.
2. Let rise 1 hr.
3. Make 8-9 balls.
4. Roll into circles. Cut each to 16 triangles
5. Roll up. Brush with egg.
6. Bake 30 min at 375°F.

Immediately after baking, dip for 1 minute into:

Mix:

• 4 cups water
• 3 cups sugar
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 6 caps vanilla

Let dry before storing. Can be frozen

The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.