Ahhh yes—Hungarian Kifli (often called kifles in English) are delicate, buttery, crescent-shaped cookies or pastries, sometimes filled with nuts, poppy seeds, or fruit preserves. They’re a classic in Hungarian baking—perfect with tea or coffee ☕🇭🇺.
Here’s a straightforward Hungarian Kifli recipe:
Hungarian Kifli (Butter Crescents)
Ingredients
Dough
-
2¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
-
¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
-
¼ cup sugar
-
1 large egg
-
1–2 tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt
-
Pinch of salt
Filling Options
-
Apricot jam
-
Nut filling (ground walnuts + sugar + a splash of milk)
-
Poppy seed filling (ground poppy seeds + sugar + milk)
Topping
-
Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
-
Make the dough
-
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
-
Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
-
Add egg and sour cream, mix until it forms a smooth dough.
-
Divide into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and chill 30–60 minutes.
-
-
Prepare the filling
-
Make your desired filling. It should be thick enough to hold shape.
-
-
Shape the kifli
-
Roll dough into ¼-inch thick rounds.
-
Cut into triangles (like a pizza).
-
Place a small amount of filling near the wide end of each triangle.
-
Roll from wide end to tip to form a crescent shape.
-
-
Bake
-
Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
-
Place kifli on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
-
Bake 15–18 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges.
-
-
Finish
-
Cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
-
Tips & Variations
-
For an extra buttery texture, use European-style butter (82% fat).
-
Fillings can be mixed nuts, chocolate, or fruit preserves—traditional flavors are apricot, plum, walnut, or poppy seed.
-
Store in an airtight container; they last up to a week and freeze well.
If you want, I can also give you a “Grandma’s Hungarian Kifli” version with almond glaze and vanilla sugar sprinkle, the type you’d find at Hungarian Christmas markets