A true classic! Hungarian Kiffles (Kifli / Kiflik) are delicate, flaky crescent cookies filled with jam or nuts and dusted with powdered sugar—a treasured Hungarian holiday tradition, especially at Christmas 🇭🇺🎄
Below is an authentic, old-fashioned Hungarian recipe, very close to what Hungarian grandmothers make.
🥐 Hungarian Kiffles (Kiflik)
Ingredients (Makes ~36 cookies)
Dough
- 225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 225 g (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
Filling (choose one)
- Walnut filling
- 1 cup finely ground walnuts
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2–3 tbsp milk
OR
- Jam filling
- Thick apricot, raspberry, or prune jam
Finish
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Dough
- Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Mix in flour and salt just until combined.
- Divide dough into 4 discs, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).
2️⃣ Prepare the Filling
- Mix walnut filling ingredients until thick and spreadable
(or warm jam slightly so it spreads easily).
3️⃣ Shape the Kiffles
- Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F.
- Roll one disc of dough thin on a floured surface (about ⅛ inch).
- Cut into triangles (like a pizza).
- Place filling near the wide end.
- Roll toward the tip to form a crescent.
- Place seam-side down on parchment-lined baking sheet.
4️⃣ Bake
- Bake 12–15 minutes, just until bottoms are lightly golden.
- Tops should stay pale (this keeps them tender).
5️⃣ Finish
- Cool slightly, then dust generously with powdered sugar while still warm.
🍽️ Storage & Serving
- Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks
- Freeze beautifully (un-dusted)
- Serve with coffee, tea, or hot cocoa
🇭🇺 Hungarian Grandma Tips
- Dough must stay cold for flaky texture
- Do not overfill—less is more
- Kiffles taste even better after 1–2 days
✨ Why They’re Special
Kiffles are more than cookies—they’re memories, holidays, and generations of tradition, often baked together with family.
If you’d like, I can also share:
- 🔹 No-cream-cheese old-world kifli
- 🔹 Poppy seed (mákos) filling
- 🔹 Chocolate-dipped kiffles
Just tell me 😊
