Hungarian Kifli

Traditional walnut filled yeast dough.

Disks cut into wedges to make the crescents.

Hungarian Kifli Cookies 

Dough

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup butter

¼ teaspoon salt

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

Filling

2 egg whites, beaten until stiff

Pinch of salt

⅓ cup sugar

3/4 cup finely ground walnuts

1/4 tsp lemon juice

Sugar and flour for rolling (50/50) 

Combine the yeast, sugar and sourcream. Let sit while you cut the butter into the flour. Use a pastry blender or scraper. 

Into the flour add the sour cream mixtures, egg yolks and vanilla.Mix by hand, knead a few times. Divide the dough in half, make into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic film and refrigerate. 

4-24 hours later: preheat the oven 350 degrees. 

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt, add the sugar near the end of the beating. 

Add the nuts and lemon juice.

Roll the dough in a combination of sugar and flour. Roll into a disk about 7-8 inches. 

Cut into 12 triangles. Place about a teaspoon of walnut filling at the fat end of the triangle. Roll fatty side to pointy side. Shape into slight crescents. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Sprinkle them with powdered sugar before serving.

I want to love kifli, I really do, but alas I’ve yet to meet one I want to keep around. These are here because I want to remember the technique.