Easy Almond Croissants

Easy Almond Croissants recipe

I am not the kind of girl to make my own croissants. According to my friend William, it’s easy, but he’s a chef and I don’t believe him. However, I bloody love a croissant, particularly of the almond variety so I’ve cheated and made these Easy Almond Croissants using 4 perfectly lovely shop bought affairs.

The sight of a good Almond Croissant in a café is enough to make me forget any sort of diet. The buttery pastry, the soft frangipane centre and the abundance of toasted flaked almonds just make any modicum of will power melt away. Sadly, now I can make my own, my lockdown pounds are never going to disappear, but some things are just worth it. All that’s needed for your own pastries is a simple butter, sugar, almond, egg mixture. This is then slathered into the centre of your shop bought croissants and baked. Worryingly simple, these were all devoured in the time it took me to brush the incriminating crumbs and icing sugar from my jumper. Thank you to Wild Wild Whisk for introducing me to these delights.

We still have a few more weeks before lockdown eases slightly. So while wearing an elasticated waist is still perfectly acceptable, I’d get on with these easy Almond Croissants if I were you.

The ingredients alone are making my mouth water, before we’ve even started. I love anything with a marzipan/bakewell flavour and these are no exception. Introduce a croissant and I am in pastry based heaven.

Let’s get going on these simple treats. Line a baking sheet and pre heat the oven to 160 degrees fan assisted. Now, you can either use a stand mixer or a bowl and a hand whisk or spoon for these. Whatever your weapon of choice, start with the soft butter and icing sugar and beat these until smooth and light.

Next, mix in the ground almonds along with the tablespoon of flour until you have a soft batter.

Now fold in the egg and almond extract until smooth.

Scrape the delicious contents of your mixer into a small piping bag if you have one or just into a small bowl. Pop this into the fridge for half an hour or the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up slightly.

Please don’t panic if you don’t have a piping bag, you can just as easily spoon the mixture onto the croissants.

While the mixture chills, slice your croissants in half, but not the whole way through, leave each half connected by a sort of hinge.

Once your almond cream is chilled, snip the end of the piping bag and generously pipe or spoon onto the bottom half of your croissant.

Fold the top of the croissant over then pipe or spoon more of the mixture onto the top and spread to cover.

Spread the flaked almonds out onto a plate then press the top of the now almond croissant into the nuts so they stick.

Turn the nutty treats over and lay on your lined baking tray.

Bake these for around 20 minutes, keeping an eye on them in the last few moments as you don’t want the nuts to burn. The almonds croissants are ready when they’re golden, crisp and smelling oh so good.

Try and resist eating these straight from the tray; leave them to cool slightly before devouring leaving one for the rest of your family to share.

Mouthwatering. A warm almond croissant is one of life’s tiny victories, made even more victorious by making it yourself, but without having to actually make the croissant.

Lucy x

Easy Almond Croissants recipe

Makes 4

You will just need a lined tray for this and either a stand mixer or a bowl and a spoon

4 croissants, day old ones are best

75g soft butter

100g icing sugar

100g ground almonds

1 tablespoon plain flour

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

75g flaked almonds

Icing sugar, to dust

Pre heat your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

In your stand mixer or in a bowl with a spoon beat the soft butter and icing sugar until smooth and light. Mix in the ground almonds and flour until just combined then finally mix in the egg and almond extract.

Scrape the mixture into a small piping bag or small bowl if you don’t have one and refrigerate for half an hour or pop in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up slightly.

Split your croissants in half around the middle but keep the two halves attached by not cutting all the way through. Pipe or spoon a generous dollop onto each bottom half of the croissants and spread out. Fold the tops over to close the croissants then pipe or spoon another line of the almond mixture onto the tops. Spread out to almost cover the top of the croissant.

Place the flaked almonds onto a plate then press the top of the croissants into the almonds so they stick. Lay each one onto your lined baking sheet.

Bake the almond croissants for around 20 minutes, keeping an eye on them towards the end as you don’t want the nuts to burn. They’re ready when they are golden, crisp and smelling divine.

Allow to cool slightly for fear of burning your mouth *me* before you devour. It’s unlikely there will be leftovers, but if there are you could reheat briefly in the oven the following day.