Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 g) caster (superfine) sugar
- 1¾ fl oz (50 ml) rum (optional)
- 10 day-old croissants
- 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) Almond Cream
- 7 oz (200 g) flaked almonds
- pure icing (confectioners’) sugar, to dust
How to Make It
- Put 1 litre (35 fl oz) water, the sugar and rum, if using, in a saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes, or until about 60°C (140°F).
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Cut the croissants three-quarters of the way through, from the back to the front. Not cutting them in half completely will stop the tops from falling off during soaking. Working with one at a time and using your hands (see tip), submerge the croissants into the warm syrup, opening them up slightly to allow the liquid to soak all the way to the middle of the pastry. Gently squeeze to remove the excess syrup and place on the lined tray.
- Spoon the almond cream into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (½ in) plain nozzle. Lift up the top of each croissant and pipe a thick line of almond cream inside the croissant, from one end to the other. When all the croissants are filled, pipe another layer of almond cream along the top of each one. Sprinkle with a generous amount of almonds, then use your palm to press the almonds onto the cream and flatten the cream on the top of the croissants.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the almond cream filling begins to set. To check, use a pair of kitchen tongs to carefully lift open a croissant; if the cream is still runny, cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool a little, then dust generously with icing sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Like most pastries, almond croissants are best when they are freshly cooked, however, in the unlikely event that they won’t all be eaten on the day, they can be kept for up to 1 week if they are wrapped individually and stored on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Simply reheat them in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 10 minutes.