Baking Bouchon - Recipe 67: Almond Croissants

This is last in the series of croissants and yet another one I haven't eaten before.  I must not be eating enough croissants.  Not that it's an issue now because I've eaten more croissants in the last 48 hours than I've eaten in the last five years.  (That was written with a big ole' grin on my face.)

I am pleased that Thomas gave these an everyday name, even if they are subtitled in French as Croissants aux Amandes, because the simplicity of them matches the plainer name.  That is not to say that they're not wonderful... sometimes simpler is better.

There are four components to these croissants.
1.  A traditional croissant - self explanatory
2.  Almond Syrup - almond flour steeped in sugar water then strained to create a lovely almond flavored syrup.  It would have been far easier to flavor simple syrup with almond extract but I have a feeling that almond extract isn't stocked in the Bouchon Bakery's pantry.
3.  Almond Cream - which I've made several times before (it's prominently featured in the Pear Feuillette and Plum Tarts).  It is a combination of almond flour, regular flour, butter, powdered sugar and eggs that is whipped together into a fluffy almond flavored pastry cream.
4.  Sliced almonds - also self explanatory.

Assembly works as follows... the croissants are sliced in half, both sides are brushed with almond syrup, almond cream is spread on one side of the croissant and topped with the other, a small amount of cream is spread on top and then the top is sprinkled with almonds.  All that gets baked for a bit to seal it all together and toast the almonds.

These emerged from the oven with beautifully toasted almonds on top and my house smelled like almond deliciousness.

I'm a huge fan of these.  They're got the same buttery flavor and flaky texture of traditional croissants with a rich almond flavor.  The cream inside kind of melts into the croissants when it's baked so it's one cohesive treat.  The almonds on top just add a bit of crunch and texture.  They're delightful!

I have a very hard time deciding which of the croissants were my favorite.  The raisin version is out of the running for obvious reasons.  The traditional croissants are the breakfast winner, but I'm torn between the almond and chocolate for dessert.  I was really surprised by how much I like the almond version.  When I worked in the bakery we made almond croissants very similar to these and they never appealed to me so I never ate them.  I wonder if they were this delicious.  Maybe I need to go back and try them... but then I'll probably just get lured in by quiche and scones.

Enjoy!
Julie