Croissants with Turkish Delight (vegan)

The first time I made these crescent rolls, I rushed and added the coconut directly into the dough without boiling it properly. I was surprised that they weren't as tender, but I ate them anyway, and no one complained. Now, after several attempts adjusting the ingredients and figuring things out, I know exactly where that tenderness comes from and why they turn out so great without milk or eggs. I've experimented a lot—sometimes with less sugar, other times I tried making them without cocoa, but they lost their character. Honestly, I often find myself eating 3-4 straight from the warm tray, just standing there with a cup of coffee beside me.

It takes about an hour and a bit in total, maybe an hour and a half if you want them smaller and take your time with each one. You get about 48 small crescent rolls (it depends on how small you cut them; I tend to be stingy with portions). I can't say it's hard, but if you lack patience when rolling, it can get frustrating. Let's say it's a medium-level recipe—not for someone who doesn't know how much 100 grams of margarine is, but not rocket science either.

INGREDIENTS – and what each does, because they aren't just there for decoration:

180g margarine (this keeps the rolls tender, don’t skip it)
200ml water
100g grated coconut (I used the cheap kind from a bag, works perfectly, adds flavor and nice texture)
50g powdered sugar (just enough to avoid blandness; we’re not making a cake, but we don’t want them to taste like cardboard either)
1/2 packet of fresh yeast (about 12g, to make them fluffy and not rock-hard)
1 teaspoon sugar (to activate the yeast)
A pinch of salt (it really matters for flavor, don’t skip it)
600g flour (I use type 000, but type 650 works too; the dough should be elastic)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (for half of the dough; adds contrast and flavor, but you can skip it if you’re not in the mood)
Turkish delight for filling (I buy it in bulk, choosing the colors I like, sometimes I add a bit of jam if I have some left)
+ 50g powdered sugar for dusting at the end

PREPARATION

1. First, I boil 200ml of water with 100g of coconut for about 10 minutes on low heat. The coconut swells and the water turns white, creating something like a coarse coconut milk. This is key to avoid crunching the coconut between your teeth, and it keeps the dough moist. I let everything cool completely (don’t cheat with the fridge; I tried, but it’s not the same).

2. In the meantime, I mix the margarine (soft, at room temperature) with 50g of powdered sugar. I stir with a wooden spoon; I don’t make a cream, just mix until the sugar is no longer visible.

3. Separately, I crush half a packet of fresh yeast, mix it with a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. If you’re using dry yeast, about 5-6g works, but the texture won’t be quite as fluffy. I let it sit for 5 minutes to "rise."

4. Once the coconut and water mixture has cooled, I pour it, along with the coconut, over the margarine and sugar. I mix everything together.

5. Now I add the flour (I put it in with my hands directly; I don’t bother sifting if no one is watching) and mix, first with a spoon, then with my hands, until I get an elastic dough that easily comes off my hands. If it feels too soft, I add 1-2 tablespoons of flour. If it's too hard, I add a tablespoon of water, but usually, that’s not the case.

6. I divide the dough into two—half I leave plain, and into the other half, I add 2 tablespoons of cocoa and knead for 2 minutes. Don’t stress about making both exactly the same size; I always end up with one larger and one smaller.

7. From each piece (white and brown), I make 3 balls. I roll each one out, round, about the size of a larger plate (around 25cm in diameter, but I don’t measure with a ruler). The dough shouldn’t be paper-thin, but not so thick that you can’t roll it.

8. I cut each circle into 8 triangles (like slicing a pizza), so they come out in suitable portions. At the base of each triangle, I place a small piece of Turkish delight (don’t overfill, or it will ooze out while baking).

9. I roll from the base of the triangle towards the tip, just enough to "seal" the delight inside. Don’t squeeze too tightly, but don’t leave it loose, or they’ll unravel in the oven.

10. I place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving about two fingers of space between them (they rise a bit while baking). The oven should be preheated to 180°C.

11. I bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the oven—mine are done after 23 minutes; they shouldn’t brown too much, just lightly golden at the edges. The cocoa isn't very visible, but if you leave them in too long, they become dry.

12. Right out of the oven, ideally, you should quickly dust them with powdered sugar, but if you’re busy with other things, you can let them cool and then toss them in a bag with powdered sugar. Shake the bag well to coat them all. Sometimes I leave them without sugar if they’re for someone who doesn’t want them too sweet.

Why do I keep coming back to this recipe? First of all, it doesn't require eggs or milk, so it’s great for fasting or when friends come over with various allergies, or if I want something quick with what I have at home. The dough is soft, and I don’t struggle with it, and the white-brown combination looks great on a platter, making it seem like I worked harder than I actually did. They stay tender even after three days, perfect for snacking with tea or packing for kids. Plus, I can fill them with whatever I have on hand—sometimes even with jam or pieces of dark chocolate, no one complains.

Tips, variations, and serving ideas

Useful tips

- Don’t place the Turkish delight too close to the edge or too much, otherwise it will ooze out and burn on the paper.
- The dough shouldn’t be too thick, or they will bake unevenly and look undercooked.
- Let the coconut mixture cool completely. Once, I added it warm, and the margarine melted, making the dough hard to work with.
- If you’re using salted margarine, be careful with the salt; don’t add too much.
- When rolling, don’t press too hard, just enough to seal the edges.

Substitutions and adaptations

- You can use vegan butter instead of margarine if you find a good one.
- White flour can be replaced with whole wheat flour, but they will be denser (and harder to roll, in my opinion).
- For gluten-free, I’ve tested it with a gluten-free flour mix (but the texture comes out more crumbly, not as pleasant).
- Turkish delight can be replaced with thick jam or even pieces of dates if you want something more diet-friendly.

Variations

- You can make all the crescent rolls white or all with cocoa if you don’t feel like making two doughs.
- For filling, ground nuts mixed with a bit of sugar, raisins, or whatever you have on hand works well.
- If you have kids, you can add a few drops of vanilla or orange essence for flavor.

Serving ideas

- They go best with coffee or tea, but if you put them on a platter with other cookies, they disappear first.
- You can pack them as a dessert; they don’t crumble, stick, or make a mess.
- If you want to impress guests, serve them with a sweet wine or a light liqueur at a party.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use butter instead of margarine?
Yes, if you don’t mind them not being vegan, butter works too. The rolls will be more flavorful, but not as tender as with margarine (or vegan butter). Just make sure to take the butter out in advance so it’s soft; otherwise, it’s hard to knead.

What do I do if the dough is too soft or too hard?
If it’s too soft and sticking to your hands, add a tablespoon of flour at a time and knead briefly until it comes together. If it’s too hard, add a tablespoon of water or coconut milk (from a can or even plain water, it doesn’t matter).

Can I make them with dry yeast?
Yes, but they won’t be quite as fluffy. Use about 5-6g (that’s one small packet), mix it with the sugar and salt, and then continue as you would with fresh yeast.

What do I do if I don’t have Turkish delight?
You can use thicker jam (so it doesn’t run), ground nuts with sugar, or even soaked raisins. The important thing is that the filling isn’t too wet; otherwise, everything will "leak" in the tray.

Can I freeze the baked or unbaked crescent rolls?
I’ve frozen them baked; they hold up well for up to a month. I let them thaw at room temperature, then dust them with powdered sugar. I haven’t tried freezing them unbaked; I’m not sure if they will "sweat" when defrosted.

How long do they stay fresh? Do they harden quickly?
They’ve stayed tender for about 4-5 days for me, kept in a metal box or a plastic container with a lid. After a week, they start to dry out, but they don’t become rock-hard; they just lose some charm.

Can I add other flavors to the dough?
Yes, you can add vanilla essence, grated orange peel, a bit of cinnamon, or even rum, depending on what you feel like.

Nutritional values (approximate)

One medium-sized crescent roll (from a total of 48) has about 80-90 kcal, mostly from carbohydrates and vegetable fats, with a little protein (maximum 1g per roll). The sugar isn’t excessive, just enough to give them flavor, and the Turkish delight adds some simple carbohydrates. With margarine and white flour, they’re not the most diet-friendly dessert, but for a vegan dessert or when you want something without dairy or eggs, it’s a balanced option if you don’t eat the whole tray. The coconut adds a bit of fiber; otherwise, nutritionally, they’re quite "cookie-like"—not athlete food, but not calorie bombs either. If you want to cut down on calories, use less sugar or make them smaller.

How to store and reheat

The crescent rolls keep well in a sealed container (plastic or metal) at room temperature for 4-5 days without losing their texture. Don’t put them in the fridge; they absorb moisture and become hard in the middle. If you do want to refresh them, place them on a tray in the oven for 3-4 minutes at 120°C, but not too long, or they will dry out. I don’t recommend reheating them in the microwave; they become "chewy." For longer storage, freeze them baked, without powdered sugar, and dust them after thawing. Don’t worry about wrapping them individually; they disappear quickly from the box anyway.

-Boil the water with coconut for about 10 minutes. Set aside and let it cool well.-Mix the margarine with powdered sugar, add the yeast mixed with salt and sugar.-After cooling, add the coconut milk along with the swollen coconut from boiling.-Add the flour and knead until you get an elastic dough.-This dough is divided into two, half mixed with 2 tablespoons of cocoa.-Divide these two doughs into 3 white and 3 brown pieces, which we roll out one by one into a round sheet that we cut with a knife into 8 triangles.-At the base of each triangle, place a piece of Turkish delight and roll tightly starting from the base towards the tip.-Place the crescent rolls on parchment paper in the tray, which we put in the preheated oven at 180 degrees until they brown for about 20-30 minutes.-Dust them with sugar while hot, ideally, but I couldn't do it and dusted them cold by putting them in a bag, adding powdered sugar, and then shaking the bag well so that the sugar settled nicely and evenly on them!

 Ingredients: 180 g margarine, coconut milk (boil 200 ml water with 100 g grated coconut), 50 g powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa, 1/2 packet of fresh yeast + 1 teaspoon of sugar + a pinch of salt, 600 g flour, Turkish delight for filling, powdered sugar for decoration, another 50 g.

 Tags:  crescent pastries with turkish delight fasting recipes