Fancy grandma's vanilla crescents? With this recipe, you can bake one of the most popular Christmas cookies very easily!
Hey there! Grandma's vanilla crescents are famous for a reason: they turn out wonderfully crumbly and tender with ease. You could say that they almost melt in your mouth. And since the best vanilla crescents are egg-free, licking the dough is even expressly allowed! So: what are you waiting for 😉 ?
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Taste and Occasion
The classic vanilla crescents with almonds belong to a series of Christmas cookies that have been family-tested for decades and are naturally sure to succeed and super delicious. For example, these vanilla crescents! There are many different vanilla crescent recipes. The basic formula in this post was given to my grandma 60 years ago by a cook at a luxury hotel in Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic today).
Ingredients
The main ingredients are flour, sugar, butter, grated almonds and, of course, real bourbon vanilla - no vanillin. The easy vanilla crescents are made of a so-called stirred shortcrust pastry, which is also suitable for beginners. So butter or margarine, in this case, must be relatively warm and soft.
Especially great: the recipe for vanilla crescents can be modified to fit vegans, egg allergy sufferers, people with lactose intolerance and hazelnut allergy sufferers. Promise: Everyone will love grandma's vanilla crescents! To make the result look consistent, I tested a croissant shape for the photos. It has not convinced me one hundred percent so that I will make the vanilla crescents again - then just partly a little more curved or smaller 😉 .
The appearance is, in my opinion anyway, secondary for pastries. The buttery-soft consistency, the delicate vanilla aroma, and emerging childhood memories are the most important things about such vanilla crescents!
How to make Grandma's Vanilla Crescents
Start with kneading all the ingredients with the dough hook or, in the end, preferably with your hands to make a soft shortcrust dough. Form the dough into two balls and chill in cling film for at least half an hour - longer is always possible. Then, preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Form long rolls from the first half of the dough, cut into pieces with a sharp knife and shape the pieces into croissants (tapering at the end).
Alternatively, place the dough in a croissant mold. Caution: croissants that are too large may break because they are so crumbly. The dough will rise again during baking anyway. It's time to bake the croissants for about 12-14 minutes, not too dark. Meanwhile, process the second ball of dough and mix the powdered sugar with the bourbon vanilla sugar (or the pulp of a vanilla bean). After baking, roll the finished croissants in it while they are still as hot as possible. Then bake the remaining croissants and roll them in the sugar as well. Enjoy these Christmas classics!
Top Tip
You can also make chocolate crescents from vanilla crescents very quickly. How you have to adapt this recipe, I explain in the notes.
Recipe Card
Grandma's Vanilla Crescents
Ingredients
For the dough
- 300 grams (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 150 grams (1 ⅓ cups) ground almonds, or nuts or flour
- 85 grams (7 tablespoons) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste, or pulp of a pod
- 250 grams (1 cup) butter, soft
For turning
- 50 grams (6 ⅓ tablespoons) powdered sugar
- 1 small bag vanilla sugar, with real bourbon vanilla!
Instructions
- Knead all the ingredients with the dough hook or, in the end, preferably with your hands to make a soft shortcrust dough. Form the dough into two balls and chill in cling film for at least half an hour - longer is always possible.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Form long rolls from the first half of the dough, cut into pieces with a sharp knife and shape the pieces into croissants (tapering at the end).
- Alternatively, place the dough in a croissant mold. Caution: croissants that are too large may break because they are so crumbly. The dough will rise again during baking anyway.
- Bake the croissants for about 12-14 minutes, not too dark. Meanwhile, process the second ball of dough and mix the powdered sugar with the bourbon vanilla sugar (or the pulp of a vanilla bean). After baking, roll the finished croissants in it while they are still as hot as possible. Then bake the remaining croissants and roll them in the sugar as well.
Notes
- Alternative for chocolate crescents: The preparation remains the same. Instead of 300 g flour, use 270 g flour and 30 g cocoa powder. If you like, add 1 teaspoon grated orange zest or some ground cardamom for flavoring.
- For vegan crescents, simply replace the butter with margarine.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
I hope you like my best vanilla crescent recipe! And if you are looking for more Christmas baking inspiration, you may like my baked apples or the cut out Christmas cookies.
Nutrition
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About Kathrin & Jan
It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking simply makes you happy. Welcome and enjoy our blog!
Kathrin & Jan
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