German Twists

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast

¼ warm water

3 ½ cups bleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup (two sticks) butter, sliced thinly

¾ cup sour cream

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup white sugar (or more if needed)

Directions

Pour warm water into a bowl and sprinkle the package of yeast over top, set to the side to activate.
Mix together the flour and salt in a medium - large bowl.
Mix the sliced butter into the flour and salt mixture (food processor recommended) until well blended.
In the bowl with the yeast and water, mix in the sour cream, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract together.
Add this mixture to the flour, butter, and salt mixture and mix until the dough begins to hold together, be careful not to overmix.
Divide the dough into two halves and shape each half onto a disk shape, wrap the discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for anywhere from 2 hours to overnight.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper, aluminum foil will work if you have no parchment paper, but the cookies may come out browner on the bottom and/or crispier.
Sprinkle your work space with sugar and shape one of the discs (out of the plastic wrap) into a rectangle, roughly 8 x 16 in.
Generously sprinkle the dough with sugar. Fold the rectangle in thirds, like a letter. Rotate the rectangle and, with a rolling pin, flatten it out into an 8 x 16 in rectangle. Repeat this step twice more.
Form the rectangle into a 4 x 14 in rectangle between ¼ and ½ inches thick.
Cut strips from the short side of the rectangle roughly ¾ of an inch wide.
Take each strip and place them on the pan, twisting and stretching them slightly. For a more authentic look, bend the dough into a horseshoe shape on the pan.
Repeat with the second disc.
Bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown in color. After they have cooled for about 5 minutes, transfer the cookies onto a wire cooling rack.