Worth the Time?

The almond croissant was one of my favourite desserts during my 2021 Study Abroad term in London. While technically a sweet pastry, the nutty, rich flavours from the croissant and almond butter make for a multifaceted eating experience.

The almond croissant is further enhanced by milky coffees like a macchiato or an espresso. Earthy, bitter, and sour flavours blend with the pastry to briefly create a pseudo-chocolate flavour in the mouth.

The variety of textures are my favourite part of the eating experience. There's the tender almond butter, the clean snap of the sliced almonds, the crisp of the outer croissant shell, and the gluteny-chew of the inner layers. They're a comprehensive treat on all fronts!

The Cheap Copy

Since being home in New York, I've been cobbling my own together with some compromises. In place of an almond cream filling, I simply use almond butter mixed with confectioner's sugar and kosher salt. I often use supermarket croissants in the absence of anything fresh or local.

Despite going cheap on the ingredients, I still put in about 45 minutes prepping and plating each almond croissant I make. This concerning cook time primarily comes from the low heat I use to brown the length-wise-halved croissant. This gives the croissant a chance to evenly brown and to wick away moisture from the bread itself and the added butter. The croissant produces areinvigorated crispy structure in the end.

For final assembly, I often break out the almond butter, finishing salt, and a mini sifter to dust sugar. The countertop is often briefly cluttered when everything's laid out for plating.

Give a Fork

While the tools used and time spent only really add subtle changes to the finished foodstuff, I'm still proud of myself of what I can accomplish. As my tolerance for subpar ingredients wanes with age, experiments like these reinforce that good food comes as long as I care enough to put the work in.