The Classic Almond Croissants (Double Baked)

Ah! Those Croissants at Thomas Hass Patisserie in Vancouver were just divine. Ever since I got to taste and enjoy them I became obsessed. I have been wanting to try them out. I always try out a recipe and don’t publish it on my blog until I have gone through 3 or 4 trials and attained perfection enough for my taste buds to approve of it and give me the signal: “this is it”.

I jot down notes each time I try out new recipes. That helps me focus on areas which need improvement and better skills.

Well I made these double baked croissants first by following a recipe. I wasn’t really happy with the almond cream, so attempted making them again after tweaking the recipe a bit by using different proportions for the almond butter filling. It was actually better than the first time. They were delicious indeed, but still not close to Thomas Hass. So I changed the proportions again and finally I was happy and satisfied with the end result as they passed the test for taste, texture and visual appeal.

Be it as dessert or brunch or even as a snack to satisfy your sweet cravings, these double baked almond croissants are the best to enjoy with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate.  And it is a cinch to make them, because you can use store bought croissants and don’t have to make them from scratch. What is important is that they have to be 3 days old. This is because the stale ones are a little dry and therefore don’t become soggy when you brush them with orange syrup and  fill them up with almond paste.

Ingredients:
6 Croissants (3 days old)
icing sugar to sprinkle
Sugar syrup:
3/4 cup orange juice or water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Almond butter cream filling:
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg at room temperature
1 cup almonds
1 tsp Vanilla
2 drops of almond essence (optional)
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Make orange syrup by dissolving the sugar on medium heat in 100% natural orange juice (I squeezed out a big naval orange to extract the juice). You could cut down on the sugar a bit if the orange juice is very sweet. Let it come to a boil, remove and allow it to cool.

2. Process the almonds with sugar in a food processor. When finely ground add the softened butter and pulse until well combined.

3. Drop an egg into it, add vanilla, almond essence and process more until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

4. If your croissants are not 3 days old then follow this. Cut open the croissants horizontally like a sandwich with out splitting them into two. Place them in a toaster oven preheated at 350°F for 5 minutes then switch off the oven and leave them there till they dry up a bit and are no longer soft. Allow them to cool down.

5. Brush the croissants with the orange syrup well and arrange them on paper towels.

6. With a piping bag fill each croissant with around 2 tbs of almond butter cream inside, close and pipe around one tbs over the top. Spread it lightly only lengthwise as it will spread across its width when it bakes on its own. Then over turn the cream side of the croissant into the  bowl with the almond slices in it so that they get stuck on the cream. Repeat for all the croissants.

7. Place them on a baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper and bake them in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes. Mine were done in 20 minutes. Remove and allow them to cool for at least 1/2 an hour.

8. Dust them with icing sugar and/or cocoa powder and enjoy them with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. You could also make different variations such as with hazelnut cream, pistachio cream, nutella, chocolate butter cream and enjoy.

Recipe

Double Baked Almond Croissants

Author: Fouzia

These Classic Almond Double Baked Croissants are just sensational. For dessert or brunch or as an appetizer they can satisfy all your sweet cravings.

Ingredients

  

• 6 Croissants 3 days old
• 1 tsp7 icing sugar to sprinkle

Sugar syrup:

• 3/4 cup orange juice or water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Almond butter cream filling:

• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 2 drops of almond essence optional
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Make orange syrup by dissolving the sugar on medium heat in 100% natural orange juice (I squeezed out a big naval orange to extract the juice). You could cut down on the sugar a bit if the orange juice is very sweet. Let it come to a boil, remove and allow it to cool.

  2. Process the almonds with sugar in a food processor. When finely ground add the softened butter and pulse until well combined.

  3. Drop an egg into it, add vanilla, almond essence and process more until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

  4. If your croissants are not 3 days old then follow this. Cut open the croissants horizontally like a sandwich with out splitting them into two. Place them in a toaster oven preheated at 350°F for 5 minutes then switch off the oven and leave them there till they dry up a bit and are no longer soft. Allow them to cool down.

  5. Brush the croissants with the orange syrup well and arrange them on paper towels.

  6. With a piping bag fill each croissant with around 2 tbs of almond butter cream inside, close and pipe around one tbs over the top. Spread it lightly only lengthwise as it will spread across its width when it bakes on its own. Then over turn the cream side of the croissant into the  bowl with the almond slices in it so that they get stuck on the cream. Repeat for all the croissants.

  7. Place them on a baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper and bake them in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Mine were done in 20 minutes. Remove and allow them to cool for at least 1/2 an hour.

  8. Dust them with icing sugar and/or cocoa powder and enjoy them with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. You could also make different variations such as with hazelnut cream, pistachio cream, nutella, chocolate butter cream and enjoy.

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