[Sca-cooks] Question to the List - Sweet Turkish Crescents

[Volker Bach]

Susan Laing schrieb:
>
> Hi Everyone -
>
> I have a dim memory of eating pastry/sweets called "Spiced Turkish
> Crescents" or just "Turkish Crescents"
>
> The topping was dark chocolate; filling was spicy & nutty & base was sweet
> short pastry.  Sort of like a chocolate slice, but cut into crescent shapes.
>
> Can anyone help out with a recipe?
>
> Any chance there's something similar to this in period? (I found a recipe
> for "Walnut Crescents" with the side note of "Legend has it that bakers
> started making pastry in the form of crescents following the Turkish siege
> of Vienna in 1683.

Unfortunately I cannot help you with the
crescents, but the siege of Vienna in 1683 has a
legendary status as a contact point of cultures
second perhaps only to Marco Polo. Depending on
sources we're supposed to have gotten coffee,
persipan, marching bands and home carpeting that
day. Given that the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires
shared a border for well over 300 years, and that
this was never anything like the iron curtain (in
fact trade between the Ottoman Empire and all of
Europe was lively) it would be quite a coincidence
if a given specialty hadn't made it across
before.

I also take the liberty of doubting the periodness
of any recipe involving modern chocolate.

(Actually I think I know the kind of pastry you
are looking for. Could it be called 'Florentiner'
in North Germany?)

Giano