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Viennese Vanilla Cookies

Recipe courtesy Lenora Brown

Show: Food Network SpecialsEpisode: Winning Holiday Cookies

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (31)

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Times:

Prep
30 min
Inactive Prep
30 min
Cook
13 min
Total:
1 hr 13 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups sifted flour
  • 1 1/4 cups shaved Almonds (not the slivered almonds, but the flat cuts
  • w/ bits of brown on them)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Confectioner's Sugar for decoration

Directions

Cream butter and add sugar. Add 1/2 cup of flour mixing after each addition. Add remaining ingredients. Shape into a disk and then chill for 30 minutes. You can also put the dough in the freezer at this point.

Begin to roll the dough the dough so that it is about 1/4-inch thick or a little more. Cut with cookie cutters. Place dough on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet. I prefer using parchment paper. It's just easier.

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until the edges are a bit brown. You may need to lower your oven to 325 degrees F.

You can also freeze or chill the dough in a log shape rather than a disk. If you do this, simply cut small rounds about 1/4 inch thick and place these rounds on the lined cookie sheet. These bake for 15 minutes. (This works well, if you want to transport dough to a friend's house and have kids form the cookies.)

Once the cookies come out of the oven, either cool them on the cookie sheet or move the parchment paper to a cookie rack. As the cookies cool, but before they're fully cooled, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Arrange on a plate and don't blink because they'll disappear before you open your eyes. Eat.

That's the classic Brown family cookie. Without it Christmas simply isn't Christmas. Sometimes I bring a batch from my Chicago home and that simply doesn't work. My sister and mother are upset that the house doesn't smell like Christmas...no cookie smell in the air. I'm often required to make many batches...and the cookies are eaten at all times

and for all meals.

These were the cookies we left for Santa...He regularly gobbled them up, leaving only a few crumbs on the plate and a note that said, "These are excellent cookies, the best I've had." In retrospect, the writing looked an awful lot like my father's... If they're good enough for Santa, I think they're good enough for anyone.

A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. Food Network Kitchens has not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

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Read more Comments & Reviews (31)

Comments & Reviews

  • recipe Viennese Vanilla Cookies
    MARCIA Rye, NY 04-21-2008

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    Delicious and easy!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I have made these cookies many times and they are always a huge hit! I have made the dough ahead, rolled it into a log and... frozen to slice and bake later to great success. Also have frozen after baking and sugaring and they still taste great weeks later. I have made the recipe exactly as written and had no problems, this is a delicious easy cookie that I don't just save for christmas anymore, I have made hearts for valentines and shamrocks for st patrick's day. Make sure you use sliced almonds (not silvered almonds) and the dough rolls easier if it's only been chilled for 30 mins, if you chilled overnight let it sit out a little bit and you will have no problems rolling and cutting. Also make sure all ingredients ar equality and fresh and you wanted be disappointed!Read more
  • recipe Viennese Vanilla Cookies
    Maryann Delran, NJ 01-07-2008

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    CROWD PLEASERS!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    These cookies looked so good on TV that I just had to bake them. All ingredient amounts are perfect. Keep dough in... refrigerator for exactly 30 minutes, no longer. The dough was rolled to one-half inch, and circle cookies were made. I changed one thing: After the cookies cooled a bit, I sprinkled half with confectioner's sugar and the other half with cinnamon-sugar. Both were deelish! I'll bake these at least once a month! Thank you!Read more
  • recipe Viennese Vanilla Cookies
    Rene Tempe, AZ 12-31-2007

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    Disappointing

    Rated: 2 stars out of 5
    I was greatly disappointed with this recipe. The almonds are so large the dough cannot be rolled out or cut smoothly. The... cookies had rough edges and the flavor was average. I may try to adapt by chopping the almonds a bit, using 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond extracts and rolling into a log, chilling and slicing rather than using cutters.Read more
  • recipe Viennese Vanilla Cookies
    Elizabeth Clermont, FL 12-24-2007

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    Good Cookie despite other reviews

    Rated: 4 stars out of 5
    This turned out very well. The dough was easy to work with. I used confectioner's sugar to roll them out and I didn't grind... the almonds in the food processor as the episode suggested. We decorated them with colored sugar and sprinkles. They were flaky and not overly sugary (is that a word? LOL). I will definately make these again. PS And the house smells awesome!Read more
  • recipe Viennese Vanilla Cookies
    Meg Ankeny, IA 12-13-2007

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    My favorite holiday cookie!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    This is a wonderful shortbread type cookie with a bit of almond in every bite. I used 1 teas. of Penzey's double strength... vanilla so mine might have a bit more vanilla flavor. I discovered these last year & it's the first Christmas cookie I'm making this year!Read more
  • recipe Viennese Vanilla Cookies
    Raquel Distrito Federal 08-30-2007

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    Easy and delicious

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    These cookies are easy to make. I've tried them with pecans, white and dark chocolate, and it worked.
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