Would you like to know a tasty little secret?
Almond croissants are traditionally crafted using croissants that are a day old.
Using day-old croissants for almond croissants is a well-kept secret in the pastry world. The reason behind this technique lies in the nature of croissants themselves. Freshly baked croissants are wonderfully flaky and buttery, with a delicate texture. However, they can also be quite soft and airy on the inside, which may not provide the ideal structure for holding a filling without collapsing. The ever so slight staleness of day-old croissants helps create structure and absorbs the flavours of the almond cream more effectively, resulting in a richer and more indulgent pastry.
Traditionally filled with almond cream ( a combination of almond flour, sugar, butter and eggs), I'm opting for a Frangipane filling, which melds almond cream with pastry cream to craft a truly exquisite flavour and texture.
So before you toss those stale croissants, think again!
Serves 6
Mis en Place
6 Day Old Croissants
Sliced or Chopped Almonds
Powdered Sugar
Simple Syrup
125 G. Water
150 G. Granulated Sugar
15 G. Almond Flour
2 Drops of Almond Extract
5 G. Orange Blossom Water
Frangipane
200 G. Unsalted Butter
50 G. Powdered Sugar
50 G. Almond Flour
3 G. Cornstarch
1 XL Egg, room temperature
20 G. Rum or Amaretto
200 G. Pastry Cream
Method
Step 1
Prepare Simple Syrup
Boil water with 125 g of granulated sugar.
Combine almond flour and remaining 25 g of granulated sugar in a bowl.
Pour boiled syrup over flour and sugar.
Add almond extract and orange blossom water.
Set aside.
Step 2
Prepare Frangipane
Cream butter with pastry cream, cornstarch, almond flour and powdered sugar.
Add egg and mix well.
*Be sure that egg is room temperature or it can easily split the cream
Add rum or amaretto.
Use right away or store in the refrigerator.
Step 3
Prepare Croissants
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cut croissants in half, being sure to not cut all the way through.
Brush the inside and tops of the croissants with the prepared simple syrup.
Transfer to a line baking sheet.
Pipe or spread frangipane in the middle of the cut croissants.
Pipe or spread a small amount of the frangipane on top of the croissants and sprinkle with sliced almonds and powdered sugar.
Bake until golden brown, roughly 15 minutes.
Let cool and dust with additional powdered sugar.
