almond croissants

*Updated recipe. This one is much easier than the one I posted previously.

One of my absolute must haves in San Francisco is Tartine’s almond croissant. During our last visit, I lined up outside the bakery for 20 minutes on a weekday and by the time I got to the front around 10:30 am, they were all sold out! Imagine my disappointment. Luckily, we were in San Francisco for another week so we tried again at an earlier time and I was able to get my fix. At $4.75 each, it’s definitely a treat while on vacation but it’s beyond what I would regularly spend on a breakfast pastry!

Our SF cousins recommended Trader Joe’s almond croissants that you can pop in the oven for an inexpensive alternative. So, we picked some up on our way home. They were ok, especially when warm and right out of the oven but they were not going to cut it for me. When I got home, of course I went searching for the perfect recipe and came across this one that transforms day-old regular croissants into delicious double-baked almond croissant! I’ve adjusted the recipe to accommodate what I had at home. This makes 6-8 croissants depending on how much filling you want to use. I bought 12 croissants at Costco for $6.49. You do the math.

Almond Croissants

Ingredients

6-8 day-old croissants
almond cream filling (recipe below)
1 cup sliced almonds
icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Cut each croissant in half lengthwise.

2. Spread the bottom half of each croissant with the almond cream filling (approximately 1-1 1/2 T each), replace the top half, and spread more filling (approximately 1t) on top.

3. Sprinkle each croissant with sliced almonds while lightly pressing them into the filling and arrange the croissants on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

4. Bake in a 350°F oven until golden and almonds toasted but not burnt, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes and dust with icing sugar.

Almond Cream Filling

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup almonds, finely ground in a food processor
1/4 cup flour
1/4-1/2t almond extract
pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Beat together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in the egg until combined.

3. Add in the ground almond and flour. Beat until combined.

4. Stir in the almond extract and salt. Beat the mixture for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I have! What is your favourite pastry item?