Making almond croissants has always been one of my favorite ways to salvage stale croissants. Lately, I've been testing out different nuts and flavor combinations and it has become my go-to short cut for making impressive and crave-worthy pastries that are so easy, thanks to store bought croissants.
I've been dreaming up this pistachio & white chocolate croissant combination for a while, and they are everything I was imaging them to be. The salty richness of the pistachios and sweetness of the white chocolate make a decadent treat. I added cardamom to the syrup as well, which brings some depth of flavor.
When I've tested out filled croissants, I have found the best way to keep as much filling inside as possible is to chill them before baking. It is an extra step and with some down time with the recipe, but is one I never skip now to keep all that goodness in the croissant.
- For the syrup:
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- For the filling:
- 1 cup pistachios
- ⅔ cup chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips
- 8 tablespoons butter, softened
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- For assembly:
- small to medium sized croissants (slightly stale), sliced in half horizontally
- In a small sauce pan, bring water, ¼ cup brown sugar, and cardamom to a simmer. Simmer about 3-5 minutes, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is starting to get syrupy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract. Set aside.
- To make the filling, add pistachios to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until processed into a coarse crumb. Remove about ¼ cup for the topping of the croissants and set aside. Add white chocolate chips to the bowl of the processor with the remaining pistachios. Pulse until white chocolate is very finely chopped and mixture is a coarse crumb consistency.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add butter and ¼ cup brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well combined and lightened in color. Add the pistachio and white chocolate crumbs. Beat until well combined and a fluffy texture. Mix in sea salt and vanilla.
- Cut croissants in half like a sandwich. Arrange the bottom half of the croissants on a baking sheet. Dip or brush the cut side with the syrup mixture. Spoon about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of filling in an even layer over the top of the syrup. Take the top half of the croissants and dip or brush each cut side of the croissant tops with the syrup mixture. Then make a sandwich by replacing the top half of the croissants on their respective bottoms that are spread with filling. Spread a thinner layer of filling on the tops of the croissant sandwiches. Sprinkle with reserved pistachio crumbs. Place in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Once oven is preheated, remove croissants from the refrigerator. Bake in preheated oven for about 13-16 minutes, until crisp and golden brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.
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