By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 20
387 cal · 60 min
Mom's Kifli
Recipe GLPRa58ebbfa19db16
A traditional Eastern European walnut cookie featuring a buttery, tender dough made with cream cheese and butter, rolled thin and filled with a delicate mixture of beaten egg whites, sugar, and finely ground walnuts. These delightful crescents are baked until golden and dusted with powdered sugar for an elegant finish.
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Ingredients
1/2 pound butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pound ground walnuts
powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Gradually add the flour to the butter and cream cheese mixture, stirring until all the flour is incorporated and a soft dough forms.
Divide the dough into 72 equal portions, rolling each into a small ball about the size of a quarter. Refrigerate the dough balls for at least 15 minutes until chilled.
While the dough chills, prepare the filling by beating the egg whites in a clean bowl until they become foamy and slightly thickened.
Fold the granulated sugar into the beaten egg whites until well combined, then fold in the ground walnuts until the filling is evenly mixed.
Lightly dust your work surface with powdered sugar. Remove the chilled dough balls from the refrigerator and roll out each ball into a very thin oval or rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick.
Place approximately 1 teaspoon of the walnut filling in the center of each rolled dough piece.
Fold the dough over the filling and gently roll or shape it into a crescent shape, pinching the edges lightly to seal.
Place each formed kifli on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cookies are light golden brown on the edges.
Remove from the oven and allow the kifli to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once fully cooled, generously dust each kifli with powdered sugar.
Comments
This Hungarian crescent cookie is dirt cheap—butter, cream cheese, flour, and walnuts are staples at any Charlotte grocer—and makes 20 pieces, so the cost per serving lands under 50 cents. The real caveat is time: rolling and shaping 20 individual crescents takes closer to 90 minutes once you factor in dough chilling and forming, well past the stated hour. The dough is forgiving and does not demand constant attention, but the fussy shaping means this is a weekend or slow-evening project, not a weeknight grab. They keep well for days in an airtight container, making them a good make-ahead for coffee or dessert plates later in the week.
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