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Almond Croissants
![Almond Croissants](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/04/07/dining/06croissantsrex4-almond/merlin_184842117_321090da-ce3a-4c4d-9e6a-3461506a39d3-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1cup/96 grams almond flour
- ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½cup/106 grams packed light brown sugar
- 2large eggs, at room temperature
- ½teaspoon almond extract
- 3tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓cup/67 grams granulated sugar
- 2tablespoons dark rum
- 8stale croissants, halved horizontally
- ½cup/43 grams sliced almonds
For the Frangipane
For the Syrup and Assembly
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the frangipane: Place the almond flour in a medium skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and toasty smelling, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar, and beat with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture is light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Switch to a whisk and whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Whisk in the almond extract, then add the flour, salt and toasted almond flour, and whisk until smooth and satiny. Set the mixture aside.
- Step 3
Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, rum and ⅓ cup/80 milliliters water in a small saucepan and heat over medium, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Step 4
Assemble: Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Step 5
Use a pastry brush to soak the cut sides of the croissant halves liberally with the rum syrup. (Use most of it or all, if the croissants are very stale.) Spread the bottom halves with half of the frangipane, dividing evenly and spreading all the way to the edges. Place the top halves over the bottom halves, then spread the remaining frangipane over the tops of the croissants. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over top, dividing evenly.
- Step 6
Place the croissants on the baking sheet, spacing evenly, and bake until the almonds are toasted and the frangipane is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- The pastries are best within an hour or two of baking. After that, revive them by warming in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Keep wrapped airtight at room temperature.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I’ve used another similar recipe to dress up Costco croissants, but browning the almond flour and using brown rather than white sugar produces superior results. You can play with the syrup—instead of alcohol, use rum flavoring or almond extract, 2 T raspberry or apricot jam—whatever you like. Another idea is to add some cocoa powder to the almond filling and some a chopped semisweet chocolate inside each croissant. Thanks NYT for improving on a already great idea.
I mean, this is amazing. I’ve been making croissants during the pandemic but always have too many to eat before they go stale. THIS is the solution I’ve been waiting for. So easy.
The simple syrup helps soften a stale croissant and glue the whole pastry together so that it feels more coherent and less sandwich-like, so I wouldn't skip it. But, the rum is just there for flavor. You can easily omit it from the simple syrup and use a bit of vanilla or maple extract or rosewater or whatever else appeals to you for flavor, or just leave it plain.
We’ve used Costco croissants with this recipe, they taste amazing!
made these today to eat tomorrow- perfect for the croissants I made and froze last week- I divided the recipe in two so I could make one sugar-free and one as written. Also used Grand Marnier in place of rum. Both the sugar-free and sugar versions are delicious! Thanks Claire!
I loved the part of the video 15:25 where she talks about turning right triangles into isosceles triangles and shared it with the geometry teachers I coach as an authentic application. Thank you!!!!
I added a dusting of powered sugar after they cooled.
My daughter said “ Mom, these taste like Christmas!”the first time I made these; so for the last 3 years I make sure to have Almond Croissants on Christmas morning. They’re sensational!
I used melted butter in step 2 and skipped all the beating a whisking. I just waited for the mixture to cool. They came out divine!
Who says this can’t be used on simple bread to make almond toast in the absence of croissants?
Why use artificial almond extract? It really throws off the good almond flavor.
I loved the part of the video 15:25 where she talks about turning right triangles into isosceles triangles and shared it with the geometry teachers I coach as an authentic application. Thank you!!!!
The video shows how to make croissants, not how to revive stale or store-bought ones. In any case, I was wondering if the frangipane or syrup can be made ahead of time.
@Janet -- if you watch to the end, she does show how to revive stale croissants. It starts at about 25 minutes/15 seconds. She shows the entire process, and I'm still drooling.
Can you do this with fresh croissants; or day-old croissants?
We’ve used Costco croissants with this recipe, they taste amazing!
I’ve used another similar recipe to dress up Costco croissants, but browning the almond flour and using brown rather than white sugar produces superior results. You can play with the syrup—instead of alcohol, use rum flavoring or almond extract, 2 T raspberry or apricot jam—whatever you like. Another idea is to add some cocoa powder to the almond filling and some a chopped semisweet chocolate inside each croissant. Thanks NYT for improving on a already great idea.
I buy croissants in quantity from Costco and end up with too many for my husband an I alone, to eat. We don't particularly like rum or any alcoholic beverages. Would it be possible to replace the rum with something else or choose not to use the simple syrup at all?
The simple syrup helps soften a stale croissant and glue the whole pastry together so that it feels more coherent and less sandwich-like, so I wouldn't skip it. But, the rum is just there for flavor. You can easily omit it from the simple syrup and use a bit of vanilla or maple extract or rosewater or whatever else appeals to you for flavor, or just leave it plain.
I freeze in bags of 2; slice in half while frozen and toast. Delicious!
made these today to eat tomorrow- perfect for the croissants I made and froze last week- I divided the recipe in two so I could make one sugar-free and one as written. Also used Grand Marnier in place of rum. Both the sugar-free and sugar versions are delicious! Thanks Claire!
I mean, this is amazing. I’ve been making croissants during the pandemic but always have too many to eat before they go stale. THIS is the solution I’ve been waiting for. So easy.
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