Good Morning Croissants!

These buttery, flakey, oh-so-good and crunchy almond croissants are, I think, the best way to start your day. Just imagine yourself sitting there, sipping some coffee and enjoying this heavenly pastry.  One bite, just one bite, and I know you'll be hooked.

I learned how to make these almond croissants back in pastry school. Chef Yves shared this recipe with us after a lesson in making classic butter croissants. We gathered up all the leftover croissants from the day before and transformed them into these tantalizing beauties. Oh, I could still remember the rolling rack filled with trays and trays of these sweet babies. (sigh)

Nowadays, I just buy croissants from the bakery or the supermarket and let them dry out for a day or two. When I'm lucky, I find day-old croissants for half the price, which saves me time and money :-)

Instead of powdered sugar, you can try drizzling glace icing, melted chocolate or caramel sauce on top of these almond croissants. Mmmmm!

Almond Croissants

Allergy Note: contains eggs, tree nuts, dairy and wheat
makes 1 dozen

1 dozen day-old butter croissants

simple syrup:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

filling:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature

4 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cups finely ground almonds *

powdered sugar

sliced almonds

*If you can't find ground almonds, you can buy sliced or slivered almonds and pulse them in the food processor until they have the same texture as corn meal.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the simple syrup, heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

To make the filling, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time then pour in the ground almonds.

To assemble, cut the croissants lengthwise and brush them with simple syrup. Spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling inside each croissant. Place the sliced almonds in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Spread a thin layer of filling on top of the croissants and press them into the sliced almonds. Place the almond croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sliced almonds are golden brown.

Let cool completely. Dust the almond croissants with powdered sugar.