Puff Pastry Almond Croissants
User Reviews
4.9
Puff Pastry Almond Croissants
Description
This recipe uses thawed frozen puff pastry sheets layered with cold butter pieces, rolled together to create an extended thinner dough with enriched layers. The dough is then cut into triangles and rolled up to form croissant shapes. Brushing with egg wash before baking encourages a shiny, golden crust. Sliced almonds add texture and an almond aroma, complementing the possible fillings of almond paste or pastry cream for richness inside.
Baking at a high temperature produces a crisp, flaky exterior with a tender interior supported by the butter-enriched pastry layers. The optional fillings and almond flavoring provide a sweet finish typical of almond croissants found in bakeries. Sprinkling powdered sugar after baking enhances sweetness and presentation.
Rolling two pastry sheets together is key for the texture and allows use of readily available frozen puff pastry. Care is advised when rolling the dough thinly to avoid tearing, but simpler variations using one sheet yield less flaky but still enjoyable croissants. The recipe is suited for breakfast or dessert servings with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
- 2 puff pastry thawed completely, frozen sheets
- 1/4 cup butter cut into pieces and refrigerated, unsalted
- 1 egg lightly beaten, plus 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup almonds sliced
- powdered sugar for sprinkling
- almond paste if desired, or pastry cream for filling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make sure the puff pastry is completely thawed! Take one sheet, cover it with the pieces of butter, and top it with the second sheet. Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry into a much larger, thinner rectangle – at least double the size if you can. Be patience and gentle with the pastry since it can easily tear! You need it to be as thin as possibly or inside will not cook. If this intimidates you, can you simply roll out 1 plain sheet of pastry, slice it into triangles, and roll it up. It won’t be quite as flakey, but it will still be delish!
- Once you have your large rectangle, use a pizza cutter or knife to cut triangles in the dough – like a “zig zag” pattern – from top to bottom. Take the bottom of each triangle and fold it up, rolling it up into a croissant-like shape. Place it on the baking sheet and repeat with the others.
- Brush the tops of the croissants with the beaten egg wash. Place them in the oven for 20 minutes.
- While the croissants are baking, heat the sugar and water over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Remove it from the heat, let it cool slightly, and stir in the almond extract.
- After 20 minutes, remove the croissants and brush them liberally with the almond syrup, then press the sliced almonds onto the dough. Sometimes I brushed before AND after the almonds were on. Return the croissants to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tops start to get really golden and the almonds are toasting. Gently cover the croissants on the sheet with a piece of foil so they don’t burn and bake for 10 minutes more. You want to make sure the insides are done! You can even cut one open to see if you’d like. If it’s still doughy, return the sheet to the oven for 5 minutes increments (still covered in foil) until done.
- Let the croissants cool and then sprinkle them with powdered sugar and filling with almond paste or pastry cream if desired!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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