Vegan Vanilla Crescents
My mom and I share a serious Christmas tradition: ever since I was a little child, we spend a full day in the kitchen when December begins. From the early morning till late at night, we bake Christmas cookies, at least eight types of them. Vanilla crescents were always a part of this tradition, and I guess they are THE classic Christmas cookies besides cut-out cookies. Maybe that's also why I thought they were pretty boring when I was young.
But in the meantime my taste has changed a bit and the crescents are one of my favorite cookies - call me Sailor vanilla crescent! A few years ago I tried the cocoa crescents for the first time and they are just as wonderful and delicate as the vanilla ones, which is why I'm now always baking half-half and trust me, every year they are eaten up first.
Vegan Vanilla Crescents
Ingredients
- 280 g (2.25 cups) flour
- 70 g (0.33 cup) sugar
- 100 g (3.5 oz) ground almonds
- 210 g (1.75 oz) cold vegan butter
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 tbsp confectioner's sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla sugar
For the cocoa version:
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Add flour, sugar, pulp of the vanilla bean, and ground almonds to a bowl and stir to combine. If you want to bake cocoa crescents, then add the cocoa powder as well.
- Add cold vegan butter in dieces and start to combine with your hands until a smooth dough forms. If it turns out too dry, add a tiny bit of cold water.
- Roll the dough into a log, approx. 3-4cm/1-1.5 inches in diameter, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/355°F. Remove the plastic wrap and slice the log first, then form each slice into a crescent. Transfer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for approx. 12 - 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, combine confectioner's sugar and vanilla sugar in a small bowl. Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool down for approx. 2 - 3 minutes, then toss in sugar mixture until coated, while they are still war. If you've baked cocoa crescents, dust with more cocoa powder.
