“Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything” ~ Julia Child
Chocolate Croissant ~ Paris
Blog posts are inspired by so many different things. Sometimes, it’s just a picture that I reflect on. This post was inspired by a picture and then the memory of one food item. Travel is as much about food and aroma as it is sights and sounds. In fact, food is a huge part of traveling for me. When I think of Paris in December, it draws on the memory of freshly baked croissants, hot out of the oven in a small pâtisserie tucked away in an alley. I had visited Europe in May and September but never in the winter. Paris is very cold in December, even snowing the day we went to Reims. As we roamed the streets, nothing sounded better than a hot coffee, croissant and French onion soup. I think we lived off of these three items for a week!! What more do you need? A hot croissant is not complete without a coffee or espresso!
I am going to assume that everyone has enjoyed a hot croissant at one point in time. They are buttery, flakey and well-known for their crescent shape. Viennoiserie are puffy pastries that have been around since before the middle ages, made of a layered yeast with lots and lots of butter. Croissants should be light and airy not heavy and greasy. Everyone has had that hard, store-bought, greasy croissant at a banquet or conference and they are terrible! The key is eating them while they are fresh. Croissants are a popular item featured at Continental breakfasts. I have had the pleasure of dining at many high-end, five star restaurants and hotels and trust me when I say- nothing is better than a fresh croissant from a corner pâtisserie. If you go to Paris, you must try a freshly baked croissants. Rather than purchasing a croissant from the case at the pâtisserie, we chose to wait for the hot ones to come out of the oven, resulting in the picture below. Bliss! It’s equivilent to drinking chianti in Italy or paella in Spain~ a must. While in Rome…..
Interesting facts~ Making croissants are rather labor intensive and time-consuming. In the 1970’s, factories started making frozen, pre-formed dough which can be baked at home or by fast food outlets. This process is called croissanterie, which is completely Americanized. Today, 30–40% of the croissants sold in patisseries are made from frozen dough.
Best croissant of my life! Paris, France
Usually when I blog about food, I attach a recipe at the bottom. When it comes to croissants I couldn’t find an “easy” recipe from scratch. Most of the recipes involved multiple days and anything over a couple of hours is not defined as “easy” in my book. For those of you who are craving a croissant and are willing to tackle this, I have posted a recipe which claims to only take 45 minutes just for you. Have at it! I will attempt this recipe at some point in time for myself and post a picture. Please feel free to post a picture in the comment section if you are brave enough to try this recipe. I challenge you!
Ingredients
- 1 package yeast (2 & 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1⁄4 cup warm water
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1⁄3 cups flour, about
- 1 cup real butter
- 1 egg white (beaten until frothy)
Directions
Proof the yeast in the warm water and set aside.
Beat egg yolks,stir in warm milk,sugar,salt, yeast mixture,and 2/3 cup of the flour.
Beat until smooth and set aside.
Cut butter into remaining flour until particles are the size of LARGE PEAS.
Pour in yeast mixture.
Mix lightly with a spatula just until flour is moistened.
Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
IT MUST BE COLD.
Turn out onto a floured board and knead lightly.
Divide into thirds.
Roll each into 16 inch diameter circle and cut into 12 pie shaped wedges.
Roll wedges starting at the wide end.
Place point side down on a greased baking sheet.
Cover with towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled.
Brush each with beaten egg white.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Serve warm or re-heat in low oven– not microwave.
Makes 36 small, but you can make as big as you want.
The recipe is courtesy of Barb Gertz at food.com and can be found at http://www.food.com/recipe/too-easy-croissants-72309
5 Wheels to 5 Star 