Advent is drawing near, and in many kitchens biscuit baking is beginning. According to a survey in the Kotányi Spice Report 2024, the vanilla crescent is the country's most popular Christmas biscuit: 51 per cent named it as their favourite. This is followed by Linzer Augen with 23 per cent.
Legend and recipe
There is a legend about the origin of the kipferl. It places the crescent shape in 17th-century Vienna, when a baker couple is said to have celebrated victory over the Ottomans. According to the feature, today's shortbread base recipe goes back to Katharina Prato, whose recipe "Vanilla crescents without egg" dates from 1879.
More than two varieties
Depending on the household, Linzer sticks, Husarenkrapferl, cinnamon stars and coconut macaroons also belong on the biscuit plate. Rum balls require no oven at all. Linzer Augen are also known regionally as Spitzbuben or Ischler.
Feature on Lokalreport.at
The feature "Flour, butter, patience: How Austria's Christmas biscuits became classics" offers even more. It contains recipes for vanilla crescents and Linzer Augen as well as storage tips: allow biscuits to cool completely, store in tightly sealed tins, and add a piece of apple if they have become too hard.
Read the full feature on Lokalreport.at
Sources: lokalreport.at