Bakery-Style Almond Croissants from Day-Old Croissants

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The trick every Vietnamese-French bakery knows: yesterday's croissants become today's best pastry. Split, soaked in rum syrup, packed with almond frangipane and showered with sliced almonds, they bake for 15 minutes into something crackly outside, custardy-almond inside — no laminated dough required.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 strip orange zest (about 2 inches, peeled with a vegetable peeler)
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups almond flour
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon dark rum

• 6 day-old butter croissants
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Make the syrup: combine the water, 1/3 cup granulated sugar and the orange zest strip in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the 2 tablespoons rum and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and let cool for 10 minutes. Discard the zest.
3. Make the frangipane: in a medium bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar with a hand mixer (or a sturdy spoon) on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the almond flour, all-purpose flour and salt and beat just until combined.
4. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1 tablespoon rum. Beat on medium for 1 minute, until smooth, thick and glossy — it should hold a soft peak on the beater. Scrape down the bowl once.
5. Split each croissant horizontally with a serrated knife, leaving the back hinge attached if you can. Open them like a book on the baking sheet.
6. Brush or spoon the rum syrup generously over all the cut surfaces — about 1 tablespoon per croissant. Day-old croissants are thirsty; you want them damp but not soggy. Use up all the syrup.
7. Spread about 2 tablespoons of frangipane over the bottom half of each croissant, all the way to the edges. Close them.
8. Spread another rounded tablespoon of frangipane across the top of each croissant, letting a little slump down the sides — that's where the caramelized edges come from. Press the sliced almonds into the tops, about 2 tablespoons per croissant.
9. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the almonds are deep golden and the frangipane on top is puffed, set and no longer glossy. If the almonds darken fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 4 minutes.
10. Cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes — the filling firms up as it sits. Dust heavily with powdered sugar through a fine sieve just before serving, with strong coffee.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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