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

[Decker, Terry D.]

The tale sounds like that of kipfel, which are now better known as
croissants.  Viennese bakers are said to have invented and made them in the
shape of a crescent to cover themselves whether the Turks won or lost.  In
fact, the rolls may predate the siege by as much as 400 years.

The pastry sounds similar to one my Mother used to make, a shortbread cookie
with nuts and spices shaped like a crescent and rolled in powdered sugar.  I
believe she got the recipe in German.  I'll ask her about it when I see her
next week.

I have my doubts about a pastry from 1683 being topped with chocolate.  The
earliest I can place the candied chocolate we use in glazes, candy bars and
the like is early 19th Century.  17th Century use appears to have been as a
beverage.

Bear

> 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.
>
> Just wondering!
>
> Mari