Almond Croissants

Almond croissants are the king of all croissants, but they're so expensive!

I'm going to show you how to make your regular croissants taste like they came right out of a Parisian bakery!

Flaky, buttery croissants, filled with a sweet, sticky frangipane, topped with a crispy, chewy topping and finished with flaked almonds and a dusting of confectioners' sugar. I can't think of anything better to have with a cup of coffee in the morning.

Ingredients:

• 4 large shop bought croissants - either fresh - or a day or two old

Glaze:

• 120 ml (½ cup) water
• 1 tbsp golden caster sugar - or superfine sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Frangipane:

• 90 g (¾ cup) ground almonds
• 60 g (4 tbsp) soft (but not melted) unsalted butter
• 100 g (½ cup) golden caster sugar - or superfine sugar
• 1pinch of salt
• 1small egg
• ½ tsp almond extract

Also:

• 4 tbsp flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 175c/350f Fan.
2. Make a slit, lengthways, in each of the croissants along the outer side.
3. Make the glaze first. Place the glaze ingredients into a small pan and bringing to the boil. Bubble for a minute or two until the sugar dissolves, then turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
4. Now make the frangipane. Place the ground almonds, butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon.
5. Add in the salt, egg and almond extract and mix until combined.
6. Carefully dip (but don't soak!) each of the croissants in the glaze and allow the excess to drip off. It will be very watery, but don't worry, this glaze is just there to add a little moisture to the croissants and to make the outside a little crispier when cooked.
7. Place the croissants on a baking tray. Take a spoon and spoon half of the frangipane mixture inside the croissants.
8. Spread the rest of the frangipane on top of the croissants.
9. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top and place the croissants in the oven for 12-14 minutes - until the top is golden brown and crisp (the inside should be hot, but it won't crisp up - it will be like a creamy paste).
10. Take out of the oven and leave to cool slightly, then sprinkle on confectioners' sugar and serve.