Tag: Croissants

Fig & Brie Croissants

I love a good croissant, especially a good almond croissant. Now, I don’t think I would ever attempt to make croissants from scratch since they do seem a bit labor intensive and it’s possible (and easier) to buy them. I did make these Almond Croissants that were easy and delish, but I used plain croissants as the base and doctored them up a bit. I did attempt to make almond croissants using puff pastry once and it was a fail. They never even made it into the oven! Something was off with the puff pastry, and it never thawed properly.  Recently on Instagram I saw a video of someone making Ham & Cheese Croissants using puff pastry. Which gave me the idea to make Fig & Brie Croissants. Thankfully this time the puff pastry thawed properly, and the croissants actually made it into the oven. 

To thaw the puff pastry I removed it from the packaging and let it sit at room temperature for about 40 minutes. When it was ready, I was able to easily unfold it, but it was still a bit cold/frozen. I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper and unfolded one of the sheets on top of it and brushed it with an egg wash, reserving the rest of it. Each column of the puff pastry makes three croissants, so next I dropped a teaspoon of fig jam in the center of each croissant and then topped it with brie cheese.

The day I made these I was trying to do too many things at once, so I completely forgot to snap a picture of what they looked like before going in the oven. Basically, I topped it with the second pastry sheet and gently pressed the two sheets together removing any air from each square. I then sliced the croissants and separated them on the parchment paper about 2 inches apart. While the oven heated to 400 F I placed them in the refrigerator to ensure that the pastry would be flaky. Since I did handle the puff pastry a bit it could have warmed, and this would definitely affect texture of it. Puff Pastry is made with butter and the cold butter in the pastry is what gives you the flaky layers.  After baking for about 25 minutes, I had golden flaky fig & brie croissants to eat.

I let them cool for about 10 minutes before slicing into one to enjoy and it was delish!

And yes, I did try making the Ham & Cheese one’s I saw as well with a few tweaks. I opted to use spicy mustard and Swiss cheese in lieu of whole grain mustard and gruyere cheese and they were just as good as the Fig & Brie ones.

Fig & Brie Croissants

Ingredients:

1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed per directions*

1 large egg, beaten

3 tablespoons fig jam

9 pieces of Brie cheese, cut from an 8oz. wheel of Brie about 1/4-inch thick

*I used Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pastry

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and gently unfold one of the puff pastry sheets on the parchment paper. Brush with the egg wash, reserving the remaining egg wash for the top of the croissants.

You will have a total of 9 croissants, 3 from each column of the puff pastry. Visualize each column of the puff pastry sheet divided in three and drop a teaspoon of fig jam in the center of each. Repeat for the other two columns. Then place a piece of brie cheese on top of each teaspoon of fig jam.

Gently unfold the other puff pastry sheet and place on top. Use your fingers to press the two sheets together, removing any trapped air from each square. Using a sharp knife, pastry wheel or pizza cutter to slice into 9 squares. Separate them leaving about two inches between each and cover with a kitchen towel and refrigerate while the oven preheats to 400 F.

Once the oven is ready, bake the croissants for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before enjoying.

To make the Ham & Cheese Croissants swap out the fig jam & brie cheese for spicy mustard, 5 slices of deli ham cut in half and folded, and 3 slices of Swiss cheese cut into quarters. Drop a teaspoon of mustard onto each croissant and then top with a folded half slice of ham and a quarter piece of the Swiss cheese. All other directions are the same.

Semi-Homemade Almond Croissants

One of my favorite pastries are Almond Croissants. I also love just a plain old croissant as well. I’ve looked at recipes to make both and while they don’t seem complicated, it’s just so much easier to buy them. Well, plain croissants that is. You can pretty much get them at any supermarket that has a bakery. Granted, some are better than others. Whereas I find that Almond Croissants can only be found at certain bakeries or cafés and unfortunately, they aren’t always that good. I have tried to make pseudo Almond Croissants with crescent rolls and almond paste and it was a total fail. Well, a fail in the taste department. They did look good. Recently though I came across a recipe for Almond Croissants that started off by using store-bought (or homemade if you are so inclined) croissants and were doctored with a delicious almond filling. I had high hopes for them. They were starting off with an actual croissant and filled with an almond filling that included almonds and almond paste – the more almond flavor the better. And I must say, they didn’t disappoint. These would be a great addition to your Easter brunch this weekend and could really impress your guests!

After getting a good batch of croissants…

I started off by making the filling for them. In the bowl of my food processor I pulsed toasted sliced almonds until they were finely ground. I then added in almond paste and sugar and processed the mixture until it resembled fine meal. Finally, I added in an egg, Amaretto, vanilla extract and salt and processed everything until it was smooth and creamy. As it was the mixture is too loose to spread on the croissants, so, I transferred the mixture to an airtight container, covered and refrigerated it overnight. The following day I let it sit at room temperature uncovered so it could get to the right consistency.

Once the almond filling was ready it was time to prep the croissants. I sliced each of them horizontally and spread a few tablespoons of the almond filling on the bottom of each cut half and arranged them on a large baking sheet.

Next, I topped them with the top half of the croissants and spread about a tablespoon of the remaining almond filling on top of each. I then pressed about a tablespoon of sliced almonds on each.

I baked them in a 375F preheated oven for about 8 minutes. After letting them cool for about 15 minutes I sifted confectioners’ sugar on top of them.

These were delicious, just as good and possibly better than any decent Almond Croissant I have gotten at a bakery or café.

Semi-Homemade Almond Croissants

Ingredients:

8 large store-bought croissants

1 1/2 cups sliced almonds, divided

7 ounces almond paste*, broken into small pieces

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon Amaretto**

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

*Depending on the brand you purchase, you could also use 8 ounces.

**The original recipe called for brandy

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread 1 cup of the sliced almonds in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Tossing the almonds at the halfway point. Let them cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor add the toasted almonds and pulse until finely ground, about 12 pulses. Add the almond paste and sugar and process the mixture until it resembles fine meal, about 15 seconds. Add the egg, butter, brandy, vanilla extract and salt and process the mixture until it is smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 days. If you opt to refrigerate the mixture for more than 30 minutes, let it sit at room temperature uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes before using.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Slice each of the croissants in half horizontally. Spread 2 tablespoons of the almond paste mixture on the cut side of each bottom. Top with the top half of the croissant and place on a large baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining croissants. Spread about a tablespoon of the remaining almond paste mixture on each croissant top and then gently press the remaining sliced almonds onto it (about a tablespoon per croissant). Bake in the preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the almonds turn a light golden brown. Let the croissants cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

The croissants are best eaten the day they are made, but, can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

Recipe from Food & Wine