Vanilla Crescent Cookies

Germans love to bake, especially around Christmas. I wanted to provide you with an abundance of recipes so that you do not just have to nibble on that one cookie whilst everyone else enjoys 3 – 4. These recipes are a bit different from my usual blog posts. Shorter, with no educational parts, but a section to give you hints and tips so that they all turn out perfect. One photoshoot, 8 recipes over the next two weeks. Enjoy!

These vanilla crescent cookies are lovely!! They look a lot darker than the usual version, which is due to the gluten-free flour and the coconut sugar used. I added real vanilla instead of vanilla sugar (what you would use in the traditional recipe), which makes them simply taste delicious. So these are definitely a “healthier” version of the original recipe.

Why did I add butter you are asking if I am talking about “healthier”? First of all, butter and its fat content are back in fashion so to speak (I am happy to talk about this a bit more in another blog post). Secondly, vanilla crescent cookies live by that buttery, crumbly taste. It would have simply not been the same without it.

This recipe is also possibly the most “difficult” one out of the entire bunch that I have posted. Please read the tips of baking them carefully – I want you to have an awesome cookie. Some of these ingredients are expensive and there is nothing worse than feeling you have “wasted” them (and I certainly do not want to be responsible for that!!).

Tips for Baking these Vanilla Crescent Cookies

1. Gluten-free baking is a bit different than normal baking. As there is no “gluten”, which basically binds the dough, we are adding psyllium husk to the mix, which acts as the binding agent. The dry dough has to be mixed very thoroughly in order to ensure that the psyllium husk is everywhere and can “bind”.
2. Ensure that you also blend the coconut sugar, as else the taste is a bit grainy.
3. You need to cool these cookies down. In original recipes, you cool the dough first and then form the crescents. I found that the dough gets too warm during that process. So, form them first and then ensure that they are definitely in a cool place – if weather permits outside.
4. Do ensure that the oven is sufficiently hot – gluten-free baking requires your oven to be at the optimal temperature before putting something into it.
5. Watch the oven like a hawk on these. They should be in the oven between 9 – 10 minutes maximum. Any longer and they will fall apart and lose their shape. This does not impact their taste, but they should also look pretty.
6. When you take the vanilla crescent cookies out, they will still be soft. You have to wait until the cookies are cold. They will firm up and are only the final result once cooled.

These vanilla crescent cookies are gluten- and refined sugar-free. Due to the addition of butter, these are not vegan. I hope you enjoy this healthier version of a vanilla crescent cookie. Thank you to my wonderful husband who not only helped me baking but also was an awesome hand model.

Vanilla Crescent Cookies

Recipe by Ann Robejsek

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: CookiesCuisine: Gluten-free bakingDifficulty: Medium

Servings

25

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Baking time

9

minutes

Cooling Time

1

hour

These healthier, gluten-free and slightly crumbly vanilla crescent cookies are a buttery delight that bursts with the flavor of vanilla.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (60 gr.) oats

• ½ cup (95 gr.) buckwheat

• ½ cup (80 gr.) almonds

• ½ cup (70 gr.) coconut sugar

• ¼ cup (30 gr.) arrowroot starch

• 2 tbsp psyllium husk

• 2.5 tsp vanilla powder (ca. 8 gr.)

• 100 gr. butter, room temperature

How to

• Line a tray with a baking sheet
• In a blender or coffee grinder, blend oats, buckwheat and almonds and coconut sugar. Add the ingredients along with psyllium husk, arrowroot starch, and vanilla powder to a bowl and mix thoroughly. Cut the butter into pieces work into the dough until you have dough ball (I used my hands and crumbled the butter until a ball was formed)
• Form little vanilla crescents by first making a “sausage” from the dough in your hands ( ca. 5 cm long) and then forming into half-moons on the baking sheet. Gently pinch together the end pieces with your fingers to make them a bit smaller. Put the baking tray with the formed dough either into the fridge for at least an hour or outside (if it is cold enough) to cool through. This step is really important, as else the dough will spread whilst baking
• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit). Ensure that the oven is fully hot. Add the baking tray and bake cookies for 9 – 10 minutes (maxmimum!! Else they will fall apart). Pull out of the oven, let fully cool and ENJOY!