Martha Stewarts Almond Crescents Recipes

MARTHA STEWART'S ALMOND CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Cream the butter and the 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts, then add the almonds. Stir in the flour and beat until well mixed.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Divide the dough in half into a roll one inch in diameter. Cut each roll into 3/4 inch slices, roll each slice into a cylinder 2 inches long, place 1 to 2 inches apart on cookie sheet and form into a crescent shape.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool, then roll in confectioner's sugar until coated.

ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Stir yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Butter a large bowl; set aside. Put bread flour, all-purpose flour, remaining 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar, and the salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook; mix on low speed until combined. Add yeast mixture, milk, and butter; mix until dough just comes together.
• Knead dough: Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Transfer to buttered bowl, turning to coat.
• Let dough rise: Cover dough with plastic wrap; transfer to the refrigerator. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours (dough should not spring back when you press it with your finger).
• Make the butter package: About 45 minutes after the dough begins rising, put flour and butter into the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape butter mixture out onto a piece of parchment paper; shape into a rectangle. Top with parchment, and roll out to an 8-by-10-inch rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; shape into a rectangle. Roll out to a 10 1/2-by-16-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick, with short side facing you.
• Place butter package on dough: The butter package should be cool but pliable; your finger should leave an indentation but the butter should still hold its shape. If too soft, continue to refrigerate; if too firm, let stand at room temperature briefly. Place horizontally on bottom half of dough; remove parchment. Fold top half of dough over butter package, and pinch edges of dough to seal.
• Roll in butter: Turn dough so that a short side is facing you and the seam is on the right. Roll out to a 10-by-20-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick (keep the corners as square as possible).
• Fold dough into thirds: Remove any excess flour with a pastry brush. Starting at the far end, fold rectangle in thirds as you would a business letter (this completes the first of 3 "turns").
• Mark dough: Mark the dough with your knuckle (later, this will help you remember how many turns have been completed). Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Repeat process: Remove from refrigerator, and press the dough; it should be pliable but have some resistance. If too soft, return to refrigerator; if too firm, let stand at room temperature, 5 minutes. Repeat the preceding three steps to complete two more turns (make 2 marks for the second turn and 3 marks for the third turn); always start with a short side facing you and the seam on the right, rolling lengthwise before crosswise. After the second turn, wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour. After the third and final turn, wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 8 hours (or overnight).
• Roll out and chill dough: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll out to a 30-by-16-inch rectangle. If dough becomes unmanageable, cut in half crosswise, and roll out two 15-by-16-inch rectangles (refrigerate 1 piece as you work with the other). Chill in freezer 15 minutes. Remove dough, and remeasure: It should match original dimensions; if not, roll out again. If dough becomes too warm or elastic, chill in freezer, 15 minutes.
• Cut dough: Cut dough into two 30-by-8-inch rectangles (or four 15-by-8-inch rectangles). Stack rectangles, lining up edges (if you have four smaller rectangles, make two stacks).
• Trim dough and cut into triangles: Using a pastry or pizza wheel and cutting at a 20-degree angle, trim a small wedge from one short side to create an angled side. Cut dough into triangles, each with a 4 1/2-inch base. You should have about 20 total.
• Cut slits: Cut a 1-inch slit in the middle of the base of each triangle. Separate the stacks, transferring half the triangles to a parchment-lined baking sheet; cover, and refrigerate.
• Begin shaping croissants: Working with one triangle at a time and keeping remaining triangles covered with a clean kitchen towel, hold the two corners of the base, and stretch to lengthen it slightly. Grasp inner corners formed by the slit in the base, and lift and stretch them toward the outer sides of the triangle; press to seal.
• Roll croissants: Using your fingertips, roll the base of the triangle up and away from you, stretching the dough slightly outward as you roll to elongate the point (when finished, the point should be tucked under the croissant).
• Finish shaping croissants: Bend the two ends toward you to form a crescent shape (the ends should almost touch). Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing croissants 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining triangles. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until croissants have doubled in bulk and are very soft, 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/4 hours, depending on the temperature of room.
• Brush with egg: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush tops of croissants with egg. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until croissants are puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on sheets on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; cover and let stand until butter is slightly softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Roll dough out to a about a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Wrap one half with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Place remaining half on a large (about 18-by-25-inches) piece of parchment paper. Roll into a 16-by-20-inch rectangle, stopping to chill dough as necessary if butter becomes too soft; transfer to a large baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.
• Transfer one piece of dough to a lightly floured work surface so that one of the longer sides is facing you. Halve dough lengthwise to make two 8-by-20-inch rectangles.
• Using a pizza cutter, trim a scant 1/8 inch from top and bottom of each rectangle of dough. Working quickly, use the pizza cutter to mark 5-inch increments along the bottom (side closest to you) edge of each dough half. Working from left to right, measure 2 1/2 inches on the top of each half and make a mark using the pizza cutter. Continue along the top edges, marking at 5-inch increments until you reach the end of the dough.
• Using a ruler, cut dough into triangles with a 5-inch base, reserving any dough that is not in a triangle shape. You should have 14 triangles total plus additional scrap dough. Gently stretch triangles to make them 1 1/2 times their length.
• Working with 1 triangle of dough at a time, position dough triangle on work surface so that the point is furthest from you. Starting at the base, gently roll dough away from you, stretching the point as you go, with fingers or a rolling pin; secure point underneath roll. Curve ends away from you to make a crescent shape.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper; place 4 crescents on each prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk egg together with 1 teaspoon water. Brush tops of crescents with egg mixture, reserving remaining egg mixture. Place 3 narrow drinking glasses, upside-down, between crescents; cover well with plastic wrap, making sure plastic does not touch dough. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size and crescents feel hollow when gently touched, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Uncover and remove glasses from baking sheets; brush croissants lightly with remaining egg mixture (reserving remaining for second piece of dough). Transfer to oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat steps 3 through 9 with remaining piece of refrigerated dough.

BUTTERY CRESCENT ROLLS

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Butter a large bowl; set aside. Put milk, shortening, sugar, softened butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely.
• Put yeast and water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Mix in milk mixture on medium speed until combined; mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour. Raise speed to medium-high; mix until a soft dough forms, about 12 minutes.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes, then transfer to buttered bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel; let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Roll dough into a 13-by-20-inch rectangle. Trim edges to be straight. Cut dough in half lengthwise; cut both strips into 12 triangles (about 3 inches wide each base). Gently stretch each to 2 to inches long. Starting at widest end, gently roll up. Space 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets, pointed ends down. Cover loosely with buttered plastic wrap; let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush rolls with the melted butter. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Serve warm.

ALMOND CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; cover and let stand until butter is slightly softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Roll dough out to a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Wrap one half with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Place remaining half on a large (about 18-by-25-inches) piece of parchment paper. Roll into a 16-by-20-inch rectangle, stopping to chill dough as necessary if butter becomes too soft; transfer to a large baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.
• Transfer one piece of dough to a lightly floured work surface so that one of the longer sides is facing you. Halve dough lengthwise to make two 8-by-20-inch rectangles.
• Using a pizza cutter, trim a scant 1/8 inch from top and bottom of each rectangle of dough. Working quickly, use the pizza cutter to mark 5-inch increments along the bottom (side closest to you) edge of each dough half. Working from left to right, measure 2 1/2 inches on top of each half and make a mark using the pizza cutter. Continue along the top edges marking at 5-inch increments until you reach the end of the dough.
• Using a ruler, cut dough into triangles with a 5-inch base, Discard scraps. You should have 14 triangles. Gently stretch triangles to make them 1 1/2 times their length. Roll 1/4-inch pieces almond paste into narrow log and place one piece at the base of each triangle.
• Working with 1 triangle of dough at a time, place dough triangle on work surface so that the point is furthest from you. Starting at the base, gently roll dough away from you, stretching the point as you go, with fingers or a rolling pin; secure point underneath roll. Curve ends away from you to make a crescent shape.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper; place 4 crescents on each prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush tops of crescents with egg mixture, reserving remaining egg mixture. Place 3 narrow drinking glasses upside-down between crescents; cover well with plastic wrap, making sure plastic does not touch dough. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size and crescents feel hollow when gently touched, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Uncover and remove glasses from baking sheets; brush croissants lightly with remaining egg mixture (reserving remaining for second piece of dough). Transfer to oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat steps 3 through 9 with remaining piece of refrigerated dough.

ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Beat butter and confectioners' sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt; mix briefly to incorporate. Gradually stir 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour into the creamed butter, add almonds, and mix until dough is just combined.
• Shape dough into tiny crescents; place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake cookies in preheated oven until edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Roll cookies in sifted confectioners' sugar when cooled.

RASPBERRY-ALMOND CRISP

Steps:

• Crumble: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch baking dish with melted unsalted butter. Pulse 1/2 cup rolled oats in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl; stir in 1 more cup oats, 1/2 cup sliced raw almonds, 1/4 cup light-brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 6 tablespoons melted butter.
• Filling: In another bowl, gently combine all ingredients and a pinch of salt.
• Transfer filling to prepared dish. Sprinkle top with oat mixture; bake until bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes; serve with plain yogurt.