Mákos Kifli (hungarian Poppy Seed Crescents) Kipfli / Kip

Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 48
• 3 cups flour, sifted
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups poppy seeds, freshly ground (2/3 lb)
• 1 1/2-2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• flour, to dust work surface
• powdered sugar, to dust work surface (optional)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or 2 tablespoons vanilla powdered sugar, to dust cookies

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, cream butter and egg yolks; add sour cream and extract.
• 2 mix in flour; mix until smooth.
• 3 gather dough into a ball.
• 4 turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• 5 with palms of hands, shape dough into a smooth roll.
• 6 slice dough into 48 pieces (if dough is too soft and sticky to handle, chill for a short time).
• 7 roll each piece into a ball (about the size of a walnut).
• 8 can be refrigerated overnight at this point.
• 9 in a heavy 1 1/2 qt saucepan, combine all filling ingredients and mix together.
• 10 cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened (5 minutes).
• 11 remove from heat and cool.
• 12 filling should be smooth and easy to spread, if on standing it thickens too much, stir in a little milk.
• 13 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 14 lightly sprinkle work surface with flour or powdered sugar.
• 15 roll one dough ball out at a time into a circle 1/16-inch thick.
• 16 place 1-2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of each circle.
• 17 gently lifting nearest edge, roll over to cover filling (continuing to roll so that the dough overlaps on the bottom); pinch the ends slightly around the filling and shape into a crescent by curving the ends in slightly.
• 18 place crescent onto lightly greased cookie sheet so that the overlapped side remains on the bottom.
• 19 in this way, make crescents from each of the remaining dough balls, sprinkling the work surface lightly between each cookie.
• 20 bake until lightly browned 10-15 minutes; remove to cooling racks.
• 21 when cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.