Cakes & biscuits
Almond vanilla crescents
Vanilla crescents rely on a crumbly, tender texture and a thin coating of vanilla sugar.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Servings / pieces
- 40
- Topic
- Cakes & biscuits
Vanilla crescents rely on a crumbly, tender texture and a thin coating of vanilla sugar. This egg-free dough is held together by butter and finely ground almonds. The cookies are fragile straight from the oven but become sturdier as they cool. Their sugar coating sticks best while they are warm rather than piping hot. Avoid making needle-thin tips, which finish baking before the centres. Forty fairly even pieces are easier to judge than a tray mixing oversized crescents with tiny ones. Keep the colour pale to preserve their delicate flavour.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Bring the dough together
Combine the flour, almonds, 70 g icing sugar and salt. Add small cubes of butter and the vanilla. Quickly work together with cool hands. The mixture initially looks crumbly; press it together briefly before considering extra liquid.
- 02
Chill
Shape into two logs about 3 cm thick, cover and chill for 45 minutes. Meanwhile mix the coating icing sugar with vanilla sugar and sift into a wide, shallow dish.
- 03
Shape crescents
Heat the oven to 175°C conventional. Cut off portions of about 15 g. Roll between your hands into short logs with gently tapered ends, then curve into crescents. Arrange with gaps on lined baking trays.
- 04
Bake gently
Bake one tray at a time on the middle shelf for 10–13 minutes. The undersides and outermost tips should just turn pale gold while the tops remain light. Do not wait for deep browning. Rest on the tray for five minutes.
- 05
Coat with sugar
Carefully place the still-warm crescents in the sugar mixture individually and dust or turn gently. Avoid shaking the dish. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before packing in an airtight tin.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Preventing breakage
A hot crescent is too fragile to move confidently. If the cookies are still very soft after five minutes, wait another two. Support both sides while turning, or simply sift the sugar over instead.
Almond and vanilla choices
Blanched almonds give a pale finish and fine texture. Ground almonds with skins also work but look more speckled. Vanilla flavourings vary in strength and do not all taste like sugar containing real vanilla.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Why is the raw dough crumbling?
Very cold butter or dry flour can cause this. Warm a small portion briefly between your hands and press it together. Add only a few drops of cold water if still necessary.
Can I freeze them?
Yes. Freeze fully cooled crescents with protection between layers. Thaw at room temperature and lightly dust with vanilla icing sugar again if needed.
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