Vanilla Crescent

Vanilla crescent – the queen of the Christmas sweet table

Vanilla crescents started their story as Vanillekipferl. You guessed it, in Austria. Today's favorite dessert was created as a kind of consequence of the invention of vanilla aroma, way back in 1874. Vanilla thus became the first industrially produced aroma, and the first recipes for rolls appeared already a few years later.

The original recipes did not undergo major changes, but the dough, which was initially risen, soon became crumbly, prepared with butter, and flavored with vanilla. Today's recipe includes a few simple ingredients: flour, almonds, sugar and vanilla. There are versions in which an egg is added, or only egg yolk or egg white, but there are also those without eggs.

Some recipes also require lemon zest and some bitter almond extract, but these are really nuances and a matter of personal taste. This cookie, we can safely conclude, has been prepared in the same way for almost 150 years.

Both children and adults love them

The vanilla crescent is for many the queen of cookies. They are, both visually and in taste, a true little perfection – a full flavor of butter and almonds, with a delicate consistency that literally melts in your mouth. Although on the Christmas sweet table, they are often found in the company of much more luxurious, chocolatey, creamy and rich cookies, it is often the vanilla rolls that are eaten first. They are loved by children and adults alike, and to make them perfect, the key is quality ingredients, some skill and – a lot of love.

Although molds for vanilla rolls have also appeared in kitchenware stores, the only real ones are those shaped by hand, when no two are alike.

Perfect almonds and vanilla

Almonds, along with vanilla, are the most important ingredient in vanilla rolls and should be given special attention. They must be blanched, peeled and finely ground. In other words, you need the finest almond flour. So, not the one from the supermarket that stands too long and changes its properties. Premium almond flour is a bit more expensive, but it's really worth every cent, and after all, you won't need much more than 100 grams for vanilla rolls.

It's the same with vanilla - vanilla sugar won't help you much. The real thing is either the scraped seeds from the vanilla pod, or the highest quality vanilla extract. You can get both premium almond flour and the finest vanilla in Harissa Spice Store stores and in the webshop at www.harissa.hr. That way your vanilla rolls will be truly perfect.