Almond Croissants

These almond croissants have become a Christmas morning tradition in our family, they are really delicious and more simple to make than you might imagine. I use store-bought croissants which are filled with almond frangipane and then baked until golden and crispy.

This recipe makes 6 but you could easily double the recipe to make extra. The frangipane can be prepared a day or two ahead of time, just bring it out of the fridge to soften for at least 30 minutes. You could even prepare the croissants to step 5, store them in a sealed container in the fridge, and then proceed from step 6 on Christmas morning. I’m all for being prepared and making things as easy and stress-free as possible.

Photo credit: Sophie Hansen

Items you may need to make this recipe:

Almond Croissant

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Servings 6 people

Ingredients

6 store-bought croissants
2 tbsp flaked almonds

Frangipane

125 g unsalted butter softened
75 g castor sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1 egg
100 g almond meal
1 tbsp flour

Sugar Syrup

2 tbsp castor sugar
2 tbsp boiling water
a few spoonfuls of jam or marmalade optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper and you will need a second tray to place on top of the croissants to help them flatten as they cook.

Frangipane

Prepare the frangipane - cream butter, sugar and salt until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until combined, then add the almond meal and flour and mix until combined.

Sugar Syrup

Prepare the sugar syrup by combining the castor sugar and boiling water and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Almond Croissants

Cut the croissants in half and brush liberally with the sugar syrup. At this point, you can also spread some of your favourite jam or marmalade on one-half of each croissant. This addition is optional but adds a lovely layer of flavour.
Spread some of the frangipane on the bottom half of each croissant then put the other half on top and spread a little more frangipane on top of each croissant. Then sprinkle with some flaked almonds.
Place the croissants on the prepared tray and cover with a sheet of baking paper, then place another tray on top and press down gently to flatten slightly. Leave the tray on top as the almond croissants are cooked between 2 trays.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the tray halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking, or until golden and crisp and delicious aromas fill the kitchen. Transfer the croissants to a cooling rack and enjoy slightly warm with a dusting of icing sugar.