Kifli Recipe – Family Traditions

By Olivia Townsend, RCS Junior

In Olivia's story "Family Traditions," she talks about learning that something her mom used to do with her cousins and my grandparents during the Christmas season was to make Kifli, a European dessert.

Dough

4 cups unshifted all-purpose flour
2 cups regular margarine
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup dairy sour cream

Place flour in a large bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolks and sour cream; stir until combined. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and can be shaped into a ball. If too sticky, knead in more flour. (Dough can be refrigerated until ready to use.)

Filling

1 ¼lb walnuts, ground
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup milk
¼ tablespoon almond extract
4 egg whites, beaten

In a medium bowl, combine nuts, granulated sugar, milk, and almond extract: blend well.

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease cookie sheets.
2. To shape Kifli: On a lightly floured surface, roll out a quarter of dough at a time, to measure 16-by-12 inches, ⅛ inch thick. With a pastry wheel, cut into 2-inch squares.
3. Place generous ½ teaspoon filling in the center of each square, then bring 2 opposite corners, overlapping, over filling; pinch edges together to seal. Place on cookie sheets. Brush lightly with egg.

Baking

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Remove and roll in powdered sugar. Let cool on wire rack. Makes 16 dozen.