Cheesy Crescent, soft crepes shaped like a crescent moon with a gooey filling, a simple recipe ideal for making children happy, but not just them. Soft, golden, and versatile: once you try them, you won’t be able to stop! I’ll just say that one leads to another!
If you are looking for the ultimate idea to solve the evening, you have found it: these cheesy crescent are the perfect recipe that everyone will agree on.
Soft crepes folded into a crescent with a gooey filling in every bite. They are so soft and good that kids will love them! A smart recipe that reminds of the famous sofficini, quick and irresistible, perfect to end the day with taste and simplicity.
A true lifesaver, very easy to prepare and super versatile. Try them in the double version of tomato and mozzarella or vegetables and mozzarella: kids will adore them!
The beauty of this recipe is its extreme versatility. Once you roll out the dough, you can enjoy creating a thousand other variations: try filling them with ham and béchamel, mushrooms and cheese, or perhaps spinach and ricotta. There is no limit to imagination!
And if you want to dare with taste, try the autumn versions with pumpkin and taleggio, those with mushrooms and speck, or those with ricotta, zucchini, and lemon. A different flavor every evening! Simply delicious!!
These crescents are incredibly easy to make and represent the perfect lifesaver: you can make them in large quantities and since they can be frozen, you will always have a ready supply to cook in a few minutes when time is tight.
💡 The trick for an always ready supply?
Prepare a double batch, freeze them raw on a tray, and then seal them in freezer bags. When you come home late, you can just put them directly in the pan or oven: they will be crispy and gooey just like freshly made!
Let’s see together how to make the recipe for the Cheesy Crescent. Prepare the ingredients and let’s get started!
And if you try them, don’t forget to let me know in the comments on my Facebook page HERE. If you like, give the page a Like: it would make me very happy. I’ll be waiting for you.
Gabriella
Other delicious recipes to try:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 12 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for about 10-12 crescents
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup flour
- 125 g pizza mozzarella
- 2.4 fl oz tomato sauce
- 50 g béchamel
- 150 g broccoli rabe (or spinach – boiled and sautéed with a bit of EVO oil, salt, and a garlic clove)
- 100 g béchamel
- 125 g pizza mozzarella
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 egg (or 2)
- to taste breadcrumbs
- to taste olive oil (for frying – or EVO)
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Work surface
- Cling film
- 1 Casserole
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Pastry cutter
- 1 Pan
Steps
First, pour the milk with the butter and salt into a saucepan and bring almost to a boil. As soon as it starts bubbling, remove the saucepan from the heat and add all the flour at once.
Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes away from the sides forming a shiny, homogeneous ball (it will take about 2 minutes).
Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it while still warm (it will be much more pliable compared to when it’s cold from the fridge) to make it perfectly smooth. Wrap it with cling film and let it rest at room temperature for 30-40 minutes. This helps relax the gluten: the dough will become elastic and you can roll it out with a rolling pin without it “springing back”.
After the time has passed, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/8 – 1/10 inch. Use a pastry cutter (or a cup) approximately 4-5 inches in diameter to cut out discs.
Tip: the thinner the dough, the better the crescent outcome. Read the advantages of having thin dough at the end of the recipe.
Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel. In a thick-bottomed casserole, melt the butter over low heat; add the flour and mix vigorously with a whisk until it begins to bubble and turns a hazelnut color (the so-called roux).
Then, gradually add the milk and continue stirring until you achieve a thick consistency; compared to classic béchamel, you’ll need to leave it on the heat 1-2 minutes longer, then add the salt and pepper.
Transfer the béchamel to a bowl and cover it with cling film in contact with it to prevent a hard skin from forming on the surface.
Once the béchamel is cold, proceed with filling the crescents. For the tomato and mozzarella filling: season the tomato sauce with salt and oregano, add the béchamel and mix. Place a scant tablespoon of tomato and some mozzarella cubes (I grated mine with an electric grater) in the center of each disc.
For the broccoli rabe and mozzarella filling: place a scant tablespoon of béchamel in the center, add the broccoli rabe (sautéed in a pan with a drizzle of EVO oil and a pinch of salt), and mozzarella cubes.
Do not overdo it with the filling and keep the edges clean to prevent them from opening during cooking. Fold the disc in half to form a crescent and try to remove all the air. Press the edges well with your fingers or a fork to seal.
Pass each crescent first in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs, pressing it well. For an extra-crispy coating, you can do the double pass (egg-breadcrumbs-egg-breadcrumbs).
In a pan: fry the crescents in plenty of olive oil (extra virgin would be better, but it has its costs) for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they are golden and crispy.
In the oven: place the crescents on a baking sheet with parchment paper, brush them with a little oil, and bake at 390°F for about 15-20 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking.
Here are the Cheesy Crescents ready. Enjoy your meal!
Until the next recipe
Simply delicious
Storage
You can store the cheesy crescents in various ways.
If they are still RAW:
– In the fridge: store them already breaded but uncooked, placing them on a plate spaced apart, for up to 2 days. Cover them well with plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out or absorbing odors from the fridge.
– In the freezer: place the sofficini (raw and breaded) on a tray covered with parchment paper, without overlapping them. Place them in the freezer for about 2 hours. Once frozen, you can transfer them all together into a food bag. This way, they won’t stick together, and you can take out even just one at a time. They keep perfectly for 2-3 months.
If they are already COOKED
– In the fridge (cooked): they keep for up to 2 days, closed in an airtight container.
Advantages of thin dough
– If the dough is thin (about 1/16 inch), the heat reaches the heart of the sofficino almost instantly. This way, the mozzarella has time to melt perfectly.
– A thin dough that cooks quickly in hot oil (340-355°F) immediately creates a crispy barrier and doesn’t have time to “soak up”, resulting in a much lighter snack.
– With less dough, the protagonist becomes the creamy filling of béchamel and tomato, avoiding the “chewy dumpling” effect that comes with too thick a sheet.
Tips and Suggestions
– A little secret: to get crepes that are creamy inside just like the originals, I suggest adding a bit of béchamel to the filling. It prevents the mozzarella from becoming rubbery and creates that irresistible velvety core.
– When spreading the crescent filling, make sure all the ingredients are cold. In fact, putting béchamel or sauce that is still warm on the dough disk could soften the dough, creating micro-holes, thus compromising the result.
– Don’t overstuff the filling and keep the edges very clean before sealing. You can brush a thin layer of water or egg white to “glue” better.
– If the filling seems too liquid, add 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs or Parmesan. If instead, it seems too dry, add 1 tablespoon of béchamel or spreadable cheese.
– Once the sofficino is closed, if you see that the sealing edge is too wide, trim it with a wheel or pastry cutter. A too-thick edge would remain raw or too hard compared to the rest.
– If you pierce the thin dough while closing them: don’t despair! Take a piece of leftover dough, flatten it like a “patch”, and place it over the hole, pressing well. Once passed through egg and breadcrumbs, the “mend” will become invisible and the filling won’t come out. Tried personally, and I guarantee it works!!
– If you pierce the thin dough while closing them: don’t despair! Take a piece of leftover dough, flatten it like a “patch”, and place it over the hole, pressing well. Once passed through egg and breadcrumbs, the “mend” will become invisible and the filling won’t come out. Tried personally, and I guarantee it works!!
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I cook the crescents in an air fryer?
Absolutely! Preheat the air fryer to 390°F for 3-5 minutes. Lightly spray them with an oil mister or gently brush them with a little EVO oil on both sides (to help brown the breadcrumbs). Place them in the basket in a single layer, leaving some space between each for air circulation.
Cook them at 390°F for about 8-10 minutes. Halfway through (after about 5 minutes), turn them to ensure even browning.The dough breaks when I roll it out, what did I do wrong?
You probably didn’t work the dough enough while it was warm or it didn’t rest sufficiently. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes. The gluten will relax, and the dough will become elastic. If it’s too dry, slightly moisten your hands and knead again.
Can I use water instead of milk for the dough?
Yes, you can use the same weight of water (or half water and half milk). With water, they will be slightly crispier and lighter; with milk, the dough will be whiter, tastier, and more like the original.
Why does the filling “explode” out during cooking?
The main reasons are threefold: too much air inside, edges wetted by the sauce that didn’t seal well, or dough stretched too thin in a specific spot.
Can I prepare the dough the day before?
Yes. Once cold, store it in the fridge wrapped well in plastic wrap. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before using it to make it pliable again; otherwise, it will be too stiff to roll out thinly.
