Coconut and walnut croissants, fasting recipe

I don't often make vegan desserts, but these coconut and walnut crescent rolls show up almost every time I need something quick that everyone will enjoy, even the pickiest eaters. I've tested the recipe with different margarine and thicker or softer jams, but I always come back to this basic combination. From experience, they are easy to make, the ingredients are simple, and the taste is well-balanced.

Quick Info

Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes (including cooling and shaping)
Servings: 2 large trays (about 60-70 crescent rolls, depending on how small you make them)
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

200 ml water
100 g coconut
180 g margarine (not cream)
50 g powdered sugar
1/2 small cube of fresh yeast (about 12-15 g)
1 teaspoon sugar
a pinch of salt
grated zest of one orange
1 teaspoon rum essence
about 500 g flour (may need a bit more or less, depending on the type of flour)
1 small jar of plum jam (ideally thick)
7-8 tablespoons ground walnuts
powdered sugar for coating

Preparation Method

1. Put water and coconut in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. When it comes to a boil, let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool completely.

2. In a small bowl, crumble the yeast with the teaspoon of sugar until it liquefies.

3. In a large bowl, combine the margarine (at room temperature), powdered sugar, and dissolved yeast. Mix well with a wooden spoon or by hand.

4. Add the cooled cooked coconut. Also add the orange zest, a pinch of salt, and rum essence. Mix everything together.

5. Start sifting the flour directly over the mixture in batches. Mix each time. When the dough comes together, knead it briefly until you obtain an elastic ball that doesn't stick to your hands. You may need to slightly adjust the amount of flour, depending on the brand used and how moist the coconut is. Don't over-knead, just enough to combine.

6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes. It doesn’t need to rise much, just relax.

7. In the meantime, mix the plum jam with the ground walnuts. If the jam is too runny, add a bit more walnut. You want a thick paste that is easy to shape.

8. Prepare two large trays with baking paper. I also lightly grease the paper with margarine to prevent sticking.

9. Take a piece of dough (about the size of a small orange). Roll it out on a floured surface into a thin sheet, about 3 mm thick.

10. Cut the sheet into triangles using a pizza cutter or a knife. Place half a teaspoon of the jam and walnut mixture at the base of each triangle.

11. Roll from the base of the triangle toward the tip, without tightening too much. Place the crescent rolls on the tray with the tip underneath.

12. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Bake the trays in a preheated oven at 180°C (top and bottom heat, no fan) on the middle rack.

13. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the edges turn slightly golden. Don’t leave them too long, or they will dry out.

14. Remove the crescent rolls from the oven. While they are warm, roll them in powdered sugar and place them on a platter to cool.

15. After cooling, lightly cover them with plastic wrap or a clean towel to prevent them from hardening.

Why I Make This Recipe Often

These crescent rolls stay soft for several days, don’t involve eggs or dairy, can be filled with whatever you have on hand, and are not sensitive to temperature. Plus, during holidays or fasting, they are the first to disappear from the platter.

Tips and Variations

Tips

- Packaged margarine gives a flakier texture than block or cream margarine.
- If you have guests, make them small (two or three bites) – they keep better.
- If you want to keep them extra soft, don’t overbake – just until they get a little color underneath.

Substitutions

- Margarine can be replaced with coconut butter for a vegan version, but the texture will be slightly different.
- Plum jam can be substituted with apricot or sour cherry jam, as long as it’s thick.
- You can use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar if you don’t have any on hand.

Variations

- For a more intense flavor, you can add a bit of cinnamon to the filling.
- If you want a coconut-free version, omitting it doesn’t change the structure much, but the flavor will be more neutral.
- You can also make versions filled only with walnuts and a little jam.

Serving Ideas

- With coffee or tea, for breakfast or as a snack.
- In a packed lunch for a long trip or at the office.
- On a festive platter mixed with simple cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can the dough be made a day in advance?
Yes, keep it in the fridge wrapped in plastic, but take it out an hour before shaping.

2. I don’t have margarine – can I use oil?
The texture will be completely different; they will be harder, not crumbly. I don’t recommend it.

3. Can the crescent rolls be frozen?
Yes, both baked and unbaked, rolled and unbaked. After thawing, reheat for 5 minutes in the oven.

4. Can they be made with dry yeast?
Yes, use a small packet (7g), but fresh yeast gives a more subtle flavor.

5. Can the coconut be omitted?
Yes, but you will need to reduce the water slightly (by 10-15 ml) and slightly increase the flour to prevent the dough from being too soft.

Nutritional Values (approximate, per piece)

Energy: 60-70 kcal
Fat: 2.5-3 g
Carbohydrates: 9-10 g
Protein: 1 g
Fiber: 0.5 g

Values may vary depending on the jam, how much powdered sugar sticks to the surface, and the size of the crescent rolls.

Storage and Reheating

Crescent rolls are best stored at room temperature in a container with a lid or in a large jar for up to 7 days. For extra softness, place parchment paper between layers. They can be reheated for a few minutes in the oven if you want them to become slightly crispy again, but it's not necessary – they are usually soft even after a few days.

If you made a lot, extra portions can be frozen after they have completely cooled. When thawing, let them reach room temperature, don’t force them in the microwave.

We mix the water with coconut, put them on the heat, and boil for about 10 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking to the pot. We remove it from the heat after this time and let it cool completely. We crumble the yeast with a teaspoon of sugar until it dissolves. We mix the margarine with powdered sugar and the dissolved yeast. We incorporate the cooled coconut, then the orange zest, salt, and rum essence. We sift the flour and gradually add it until we obtain a non-sticky dough ball. We mix the plum jam with the ground walnuts. We break off a piece of dough, roll out a thin sheet, and cut it into triangles. We place a little of the jam and walnut mixture in each triangle, roll them from the base to the tip, and arrange them on a baking tray lined with margarine and baking paper. We proceed the same way with all the dough. This yields two large trays. We place them in the preheated oven at a suitable temperature until they are slightly golden, but not too much. We remove the tray when they are ready and hot, roll them in powdered sugar, and then place them on a platter. After they have cooled, we cover them to keep them tender. They are very, very good! Thank you very much for the recipe, Claudia :)

 Ingredients: 200 ml water 100 g coconut 180 g margarine in a package 50 g powdered sugar 1/2 small cube of yeast 1 teaspoon sugar a pinch of salt grated orange peel 1 teaspoon rum essence 500 g flour 1 small jar of plum jam (preferably a thicker version) 7-8 tablespoons ground walnuts powdered sugar for dusting

 Tags:  coconut croissants walnut croissants lenten croissants