Kipfels or Kifflies were always present at any family gathering, be it a birthday, shower, anniversary, wedding or just a get together. They are made from a rich dough. Every family had their own recipe which was handed down through the generations. You could always identify whose Kipfels you were eating, either by dough flavor, fillings which contained either poppy seed, prune, apricot, cinnamon and chopped walnuts or cream cheese, or by topping or shape.
There was always an underlying competition among the women as to who’s Kipfels were best. They are not large, but big enough for three or four bites. Kipfels would be stacked into pyramids. They were served with coffee after a large meal. You always had room for two or three.

These are Eastern European in origin. They have their roots in Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Romania and Turkey. There are hundreds of variations.

Regards, June Meyer.

• 10 cups of flour or 2 1/2 lbs.
• 3/4 lb. of butter, room temp.
• 1/4 cup of lard, room temp.
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 5 eggs in all-3 whole eggs and 2 yolks.
• 1 3/4 cup of warm sour cream
• 1 1/4 cup of sugar
• 2 lemon's zest grated, and reserve juice
• 2 1/2 yeast cakes or packs dry yeast

Mixture for rolling Kipfels in

• 1/2 lb. of ground walnuts mixed with 3/4 cups of granulated sugar.

Mix yeast and warm water in a small dish and proof according to yeast directions.
Mix flour and shortening together in a large bowl till like pie dough, only finer. (I use my wire pastry cutter).
Add all other dough ingredients including yeast mixture and work with your hands till well mixed and dough comes away from your hands and pan. If it seems dry, add the lemon juice, 1/2 lemon at a time until soft enough to mix.

Let rise in a warm place till double in bulk. (I turn on the light in my oven and keep the door closed).

When dough has risen, pull off about 1/4 of a cup or a small egg sized piece of dough for each cake and flatten to the size of a baby's hand (do not roll with rolling pin) but push into shape.

Squeeze out about 1 tsp. of Lekvar (see recipe index) jam, and pinch up dough to cover the Lekvar jam entirely. Roll in Ground Nut mixture.
Place on a greased baking pan. Let rise again for about 3/4 of and hour.
Bake at 350 or moderate oven, 25 to 30 min. or till lightly brown.

Cakes should be placed close together in pan, but do not crowd too closely.
My kipfels look like a lot of fat little bundled up babies!

Makes 50, more or less.