Vanille Kipfl Pastry

Directions

1. Pastry Dough
2. In a small dish dissolve yeast in 1/4 C warm water, add 2 tsp sugar. Let stand until yeast proofs, making a thick foam. (About 7 - 10 minutes.)
3. While yeast is proofing, in a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut chilled butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs as for pie dough, using pastry blender or two table knives. Add proofed yeast, vanilla and sour cream. Lightly beat beat egg yolks and add. This can be mixed by hand or food processor. If using a food processor, mix only until dough just comes together and no egg or sour cream streaks show. (This is a delicate pastry dough. Overworking will develop too much gluten.) Do not knead dough. Wrap in plastic film and chill 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Shape into ball and gently roll out on surface lightly dusted with an equal mix of flour and powdered sugar. Roll dough into 10 inch circle. Divide into 8 triangles. Place a teaspoon of filling at wide end ad gently roll up. Gently curve into slight crescent and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. It may be easier to shape as you place on parchment. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Pastry should be only slightly tan. Do not over bake. Allow to cool for a few minutes before moving to cookie rack for complete cooling.

1. Walnut Filling
2. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, Gradually add granulated sugar and beat until glossy and firm peaks form. Lightly sprinkle vanilla over meringue and quickly mix in. Gently fold in chopped nut so as to not break down egg whites,
3. Note on double -strength vanilla: Penzey’s and The Spice House both sell their family’s Double-strength Bourbon Vanilla. Use only natural vanilla. Imitation vanilla fights with the yeast and produces a bitter taste. ** Prepare dusting sugar 1 - 3 weeks before baking day. ***Inside each bottle of vanilla from the Spice House or Penzey’s, single or double strength, there is a vanilla bean. Remove this, (or buy a separate, dry vanilla bean) split bean lengthwise and tuck into bag of powdered sugar to flavor sugar.