Melting Hazelnut and Vanilla Crescents

Their history takes us to Central Europe, and more particularly to Austria, where delicious crescent-shaped shortbread cookies called Vanillekipferl have long been made. Traditionally eaten over Christmas, they pair nuts with the sweetness of vanilla.

It was the famous German biscuit company Bahlsen, founded in 1889, that popularized its hazelnut Crescents — those unmistakable little shortbread cookies.

And those cookies in particular have a special place in my heart.

My grandmother bought them very regularly, and I adored them.

I remember their pretty little moon shape, their perfect size for the palm of the hand and above all that incomparable texture. A cookie that holds perfectly between your fingers but which, once in the mouth, breaks down delicately into something incredibly melting.

And then there is that taste… that mix of lightly toasted hazelnut, vanilla and sugar, with a sweet, generous flavor that lingers and makes you immediately want a second.

Just thinking about it brings back those small moments of childhood indulgence.

So inevitably, when I started reworking the great classics of the cookie aisle as fully plant-based, gluten-free recipes, I knew that one day I would have to take on these crescents.

And what a challenge.

Because behind their apparent simplicity lies a real technical difficulty. It is not enough to mix a few ingredients to get a shortbread cookie. You have to recover that very particular texture, at once solid enough to handle and incredibly crumbly and melting to eat.

You also have to preserve that lightly toasted hazelnut flavor, perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the vanilla, without either taking over.

And I can tell you I am particularly proud of having recovered all those small details that give these cookies their identity.

That too is what I love about my work: being able to recover the sensations, textures and flavors of our memories while reinventing them with different ingredients, without sacrificing any of the pleasure.

So today I am very happy to share this recipe with you.

These crescents are wonderful with a coffee, a hot chocolate or a cup of tea. They naturally find their place at a family afternoon, at tea with friends, but also in those quiet moments we sometimes allow ourselves alone.

And why not make them an occasion for a lovely moment in the kitchen with your children or grandchildren? After all, it is often these very simple times spent making cookies together that become the finest memories.

Perhaps, some years later, these crescents will remind them in turn of tender moments spent with you, as they remind me today of my grandmother.

That is also why I so love passing my recipes on: because pastry is not just ingredients and techniques. It is made of memories, of sharing, of gestures handed down and small happinesses created together.

So enjoy them, take pleasure in making these crescents and above all, savor every moment.

I would love to know what you think once you have made this recipe. Do share what you made, your photos and your thoughts on my social media or write to me directly by email. It is always an immense pleasure to see your creations and to know that my recipes come alive in your kitchens.

I look forward to hearing from you, and I wish you a lovely tasting — full of sweetness, indulgence and, who knows, perhaps a few childhood memories too.