Chocolate Almond Croissants Recipes

Steps:

• For the almond cream: Add the butter, almond paste, rum, flour, almond extract and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• For the streusel: Add the butter, flour, oats, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the ingredients become a coarse crumb and set aside.
• To build: Cut each croissant in half lengthwise and place cut-side up on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Brush the cut sides of the croissants with the simple syrup, about 1 teaspoon per half. Equally distribute the almond cream on the croissants followed by the blueberries, and sprinkle the streusel over the top.
• Freeze, uncovered, until totally set, at least 2 hours.
• Remove from the freezer and wrap individually in plastic wrap (to keep the toppings on), then place in large plastic bags.
• To serve: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take the croissants out of the plastic bags, remove the plastic wrap, place on a baking sheet and bake until the almond cream has set and the streusel is golden, 15 to 17 minutes.
• Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with the powdered sugar and serve hot or at room temperature.
• Pour 1 cup water into a saucepan and add the granulated sugar. Stir and place the saucepan over medium heat.
• By the time the edges start to simmer, the sugar should have dissolved and the liquid should be completely clear, not cloudy. Immediately remove from the heat and cool completely.
• Store the simple syrup in an airtight container, in the fridge, until ready to use. Simple syrup stays fresh up to 4 weeks.

Steps:

• Special equipment: pizza cutter or kitchen shears, ruler
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place 1 sheet thawed puff pastry on the work surface like a sheet of paper or portrait (not horizontal or landscape). If the puff pastry is very sticky, very lightly flour the work surface. Using a pizza cutter or kitchen shears, cut the puff pastry in half, widthwise. Using a ruler as a guide, make an indentation at 2-inch intervals (for the base) across the bottom of each puff pastry half. Cut each half into 8 triangles, with the base of each triangle measuring 2 inches. (They will be very long isosceles triangles.) You'll end up discarding the 2 end pieces to get the most out of your puff pastry piece. This sheet of triangles will be reserved for the chocolate croissants. Repeat the cutting for the second puff pastry sheet that will be used for the almond croissants.
• For the chocolate croissants: Place 1 chocolate piece just above the 2-inch edge of 1 pastry triangle, folding the dough over the chocolate as you tightly roll up the dough, enclosing the chocolate. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry and chocolate. Place the pastry rolls on the baking sheet, seam-side down. Cover the croissants with plastic wrap and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until the dough firms up. (You can make these croissants 1 day ahead up to this point.)
• Just before baking, remove the croissants from the refrigerator, brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
• For the almond croissants: Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond paste, shaped like a small log, just above the 2-inch edge of 1 pastry triangle, folding the dough over the almond paste as you tightly roll up the dough, enclosing the almond paste. Repeat with remaining puff pastry triangles and almond paste. Place the pastry rolls on a baking sheet, seam-side down. Cover the croissants with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until the dough firms up. (You can make these croissants 1 day ahead up to this point.)
• Just before baking, remove the croissants from the refrigerator, brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with sugar and sliced almonds.
• Bake until the pastries are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Cook's Note: These croissants are so easy and so good you'll want to stuff them with practically everything. They are perfect as is-chocolate croissants and almond croissants, but if you're feeling a little adventurous combine the chocolate and almond paste (scale back just a touch on the almond paste) in one croissant for a decadent treat. But don't stop there, you can stuff these mouthwatering minis with savory fillings too. Ham and cheese croissants are crazy good!

Steps:

• Combine milk, first amount of butter, sugar and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
• While mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast in the water and add it to the milk.
• Place the liquid in a mixer and add the flour. Using the dough hook, mix
• until the dough is elastic and sticky. you can do it by hand and knead it gently.
• Place in a bowl, cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Place in refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
• While recipe croissant dough is chilling, soften the remaining cold butter by pounding with a rolling pin between 2 pieces of wax paper or saran wrap.
• Roll the dough on a floured board to form a 1/4-inch thick rectangle.
• Spread the butter over 2/3 of the rectangle closest to you. Fold the unbuttered third over the center third. Then fold the bottom 1/3 over the doubled portion. Swing the dough around a quarter turn. Roll it again into a 1/4-inch thick oblong. Fold again in thirds.
• Cover the dough and place in the refrigerator overnight. When the dough is chilled, remove from the refrigerator and repeat the folding and turning twice more.
• Then roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness once more.
• Cut the dough into 3-inch squares then cut the squares on the bias to form two triangles.
• Put butter in a frypan and melt, add almonds and slowly roast over med-low heat until golden brown.
• Place a small amount of roasted almonds and chocolate pieces on each triangle.
• Roll each triangle beginning with the wide side, then shape the rolls into crescents.
• Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave enough room for each croissant to triple in size.
• Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before baking.
• Preheat oven to 400°F Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and continue to bake another 15 minutes.
• Remove recipe croissant from the oven. Cool and enjoy.
• tips:.
• Tip #1: Each time you cover recipe croissant dough, wrap securely to keep air out. Wrapping prevents an unwanted skin from forming.
• Tip #2:Cut the dough of recipe croissant with a very sharp knife or pizza cutter.
• Tip #3: Resist eating your croissants when they come from the oven. Croissants need time for the layers of dough to settle.
• preparation time does not include time spent chilling overnight.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice into each croissant lengthways, but don't go all the way through - they should open like books. Sprinkle or spread the bottom half of each with marzipan, followed by 1 tsp almonds and 1 tbsp chocolate.
• Close up, put on a baking sheet and sprinkle the remaining chocolate and almonds on top. Bake for 5 mins or until the chocolate has melted. Serve warm.