Vanilla is considered one of the most beautiful fragrant spices. Vanilla should therefore not be missing from any gourmet's spice rack. Especially during the holidays, when vanilla croissants are an indispensable confection to serve to your guests and give them a taste of home and love. Recipes with real vanilla (as it was used in the past) and vanilla paste (which is a modern trend in confectionery, as it perfectly replaces the vanilla pods or vanilla extract) are rare or non-existent online, so we've put together a selection of recipes that will delight the biggest sweet tooth.

The first recipes for vanilla croissants goes back a long way

Did you know? The origins of this popular crescent-shaped,vanilla-rich pastry date back to Vienna. This vanilla crescent even has an interesting story. Vienna was twice conquered by the Ottoman Turks. First in 1529 and then in 1683. Neither time succeeded, so to taunt their opponents, the Viennese bakers decided to make crescent-shaped croissants to celebrate both victories. This was part of the emblem of the Ottoman Empire. Whether this is a legend or a true story is a matter for speculation. One thing is certain, however, that the vanilla croissants, with their delicate taste, fragility and vanilla scent, conquered not only Austrian but also Slovenian households.

Recipes for vanilla croissants vary

Just as every family has its own festive traditions, every family has its own unique recipe for vanilla croissants, which has been perfected over the generations. Home recipe books have been handed down from generation to generation by housewives with the desire to preserve the original recipe, which contained everything but vanilla paste. Today, you will find newer recipes that put more emphasis on more sophisticated ingredients, such as vanilla paste, with real bourbon vanilla extract to enhance the flavours even more. Also, in some recipes for vanilla croissants the classic walnuts are replaced with hazelnuts or almonds for a more refined taste.

Vanilla croissants - a classic among baked treats

So if you have inherited your grandmother's or great-grandmother's family recipe for vanilla croissants, don't try to circumvent it in any way and rely on the traditional ingredients listed in the recipe. However, you can now take the recipe up a notch and enrich it with vanilla paste with vanilla seeds added to enhance the vanilla flavour and make this fragile dessert even more appealing. This way you will add a touch of your own to the vanilla croissant recipe. In addition to the vanilla and vanilla paste, don't leave out a pinch of love and a good handful of patience.

Vanilla and vanilla paste, what's the difference?

Vanilla paste is gaining popularity in recipes where traditional cuisine is being simplified by more modern preparation methods, especially at the expense of time and simplicity. Vanilla paste is structurally somewhere between a pure extract and the inside of a vanilla pod. Vanilla paste is also liquid, but much less so than vanilla extract itself. (BAM vanilla paste is alcohol-free, making it suitable for use in confectionery for children and anyone who cannot or does not wish to consume alcohol.) In addition, it is good to know the that 1 teaspoon of paste = 1 vanilla pod. With that said, scraping the vanilla pod is more time-consuming than adding the vanilla paste.

Vanilla croissants should smell of vanilla

The actual sprinkling for the vanilla croissants is made from sugar and vanilla. Forget vanilla sugar, which only has a vanilla flavouring and is completely artificial. So reach for BAM vanilla sugar with real vanilla seeds (vanilla sugar contains real Bourbon vanilla and is an intensely flavoured blend of Bourbon vanilla and white sugar). You'll see that the difference is dramatic!).

Why do vanilla croissants break so often?

Many cooks prefer not to make vanilla croissants. They worry about unexpected recipe pitfalls - but many recipes really do promise tempting pastries. How do we know that the recipe is the real deal? The first rule, which we've already mentioned, is that if you're one of the lucky ones who have inherited your grandmother's or great-grandmother's family recipe for vanilla croissants, stick to it. It should be pointed out, however, that everyone has encountered broken vanilla croissants while baking. After all the effort that has gone into preparing the dough and shaping the croissants, such a complication would make one despair.

But don't give up and try again. Only this time, do not knead the dough for so long. Over-kneading the dough will overheat it and the heat of your hands will make it almost ''burn''. This causes a distortion in the structure of the dough, which changes during baking. The result is broken croissants and tears at the edges.

BAM TIP: Try working the dough for a shorter period of time and leaving it in a cool place for a longer period of time (even overnight if you have the patience and time to prepare it).

How to store vanilla croissants?

The great thing about vanilla croissants is that you can store them for longer and they will still be fresh after a few days. How to store them properly to keep them fresh for as long as possible? Vanilla croissants contain a lot of fat, so they should be stored in a cool place. It is best to put them in a plastic or paper box and store them in the fridge or on the balcony.

Will you make vanilla croissants this year or will you leave the job to more experienced cooks? Either way, remember that practice makes perfect!

How to make fine vanilla croissants that won't fall apart?

Are you one of those people who avoid making vanilla croissants because they are afraid they will fall apart? But at the same time you can't resist the intoxicating taste and smell of vanilla. Even if many recipes have already let you down, give yourself another chance. Let us share with you a recipe for vanilla croissants to which you can add a vanilla paste that will bind all the ingredients together, bring out the vanilla flavour and make the perfect mixture to prevent it from falling apart under your cooking hands.