They are the most popular Christmas cookies: The vanilla crescents increase the anticipation of the holiday and taste great with both coffee and tea. Traditionally they are made with almonds, which give the dough a nutty note. Allergy sufferers and people with digestive problems should opt for vanilla crescents without almonds. It is additionally refined with spices and is in no way inferior to the original when it comes to taste!
For the delicious vanilla crescents without almonds you need the following ingredients:
- 136 g butter, softened
- 1 yolk of medium egg
- 136g sugar, divided into two cups
- 1 vanilla pulp from a pod
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 354 g flour type 550
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar
The vanilla crescents can be prepared very quickly. The recipe is so simple that even complete beginners will be able to make it. You also need few ingredients for the cookies and can also offer them as a last-minute dessert. A few tips will help you prepare:
- Use one egg yolk rather than a whole egg.
- If the dough is a bit runny and difficult to setForm a crescent moonThen you can let it sit in the fridge for half an hour.
- If you are unable to form crescent cookies from the dough, you can also use cookie cutters. This saves you time and effort.
- The cookies will last for several weeks if stored airtight. However, they taste best the first week.
Preparation:
1. Place the softened butter in a large bowl. Add half the sugar and mix the two ingredients well with a wooden spoon. Then beat them until fluffy until a creamy mixture is formed.
2. Add the vanilla pulp and lemon zest, stirring in with a metal spoon or spatula.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour and salt, then gradually add to the butter mixture, stirring constantly.
4. Process the whole thing into a slightly sticky dough. You can use the dough hook of a hand mixer for this purpose.
5. Form the finished dough into a ball and chill. Let cool in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes to an hour.
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and shape it into a roll about 3 cm in diameter. Cut pieces 6 to 7 cm long, roll up the ends of the pieces and shape them into a half moon.
7. Line a tray with baking paper and place the vanilla crescents on it. Preheat the oven and bake the cookies for about 12 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius with a fan oven. The pastry is ready when the vanilla crescents turn light brown.
8. Put the rest of the sugar in a spice grinder and grind it. Mix the finished powdered sugar with the vanilla sugar.
9. Take the hot cookies out of the oven and sprinkle with the powdered sugar. It is best to use a sieve for this purpose.
10. Let the vanilla crescents cool down. Store airtight and cool for a week.
The vanilla crescents without almonds can be varied as desired. For example, the cookies can be covered with chocolate icing or seasoned with cinnamon and cloves. Of course you can toodry fruits, raisins or other nuts of your choice. You can even replace the powdered sugar with honey.
By the way, vegans can leave out the egg. The Christmas cookies will taste just as good. You can then season them with gingerbread spice to spice things up a bit. The combination of clove powder, ground cinnamon and nutmeg are typical of the Christmas season. So that you canVanilla taste betteryou should use vanilla pulp for baking and vanilla sugar for dusting.
The vanilla crescents taste perfect with afternoon coffee or morning tea. If you want, you can lovingly pack them in jam jars and give them away. Because they can last for weeks when packed airtight, they make the perfect gift for friends and family. They can also possibly be sent. Edible gifts or small party favors are sure to be well received by colleagues. All the better if you can prepare them without nuts.
