Giant almond croissant from a baking sheet with creamy frangipane filling
Anyone craving a truly delicious French breakfast on the weekend often reaches for the classic almond croissant from their favorite bakery. The combination of flaky pastry and sweet cream filling is unbeatable. At home, many people shy away from the time-consuming preparation.
- 1 roll of puff pastry from the refrigerator (preferably butter puff pastry)
- 60 g butter (melted)
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g almonds (blanched and ground)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 egg (size L)
- 2–3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/2 organic orange (from which the zest is used)
- 1 TL Vanilleextrakt 🛒
- 60 g almond flakes
- Icing sugar for dusting
- Take the puff pastry out of the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes so it's easier to unroll. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F) using conventional oven settings (top and bottom heat) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Carefully unroll the puff pastry and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for about 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 175°C and bake for another 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Prepare the almond cream. Place the melted butter and sugar in a bowl and whisk until creamy. Add the ground almonds, salt, and egg, and mix until smooth.
- Stir in the orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Start with 2 tablespoons of orange juice and add another tablespoon if needed. The cream should be soft and spreadable, but not runny.
- Preheat the oven again to 175 °C (top/bottom heat).
- Halve the cooled puff pastry sheet horizontally so that you have a bottom and a top base.
- Spread about two-thirds of the almond cream in small dollops onto the bottom cake layer. Carefully and evenly spread the cream to the edges. A small offset spatula or cake server works best for this.
- Carefully place the top half of the dough onto the cream. Then spread the remaining almond cream over the top.
- Generously sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top and place the baking sheet on the middle rack. Bake the almond croissant for about 20 minutes, until the almonds are golden brown. If necessary, loosely cover the pastry with aluminum foil if the almonds are browning too quickly.
- Let the almond croissant cool slightly on the baking sheet, then generously dust it with powdered sugar. Cut it into eight pieces with a sharp knife.
Recipe for a large almond croissant from a baking sheet
Preparing these on a baking sheet is wonderfully simple. You don't need to cut perfect triangles or roll the dough symmetrically. The little imperfections are what give these sheet-baked almond croissants their charm. The first step is to bake the dough rectangle whole. This allows the puff pastry to rise undisturbed and develop its characteristic airy layers. Once the surface is golden brown and crispy, take the baking sheet out of the oven. After a short cooling period, cut the large pastry horizontally in half.
The real heart of this sheet pan almond croissant is the filling. Here, a classic frangipane is used. This traditional almond cream consists of ground almonds, softened butter, sugar, and eggs. It ensures that the inside of the pastry is wonderfully moist and intensely nutty. To prevent the rich cream from being too heavy, mix in some fresh orange zest.
Now it's time to assemble. Generously spread the prepared almond cream over the bottom half of the puff pastry. Then place the crispy top half back on. Spread another layer of the sweet filling over the top as well. Sprinkle generously with slivered almonds. Then the entire baking sheet goes back into the oven. During this second baking, the frangipane sets between the layers of pastry, while the slivered almonds on the surface toast and form a beautifully golden crust.
When you take the almond croissant out of the oven, the whole kitchen smells of roasted nuts and warm butter. Before serving, sprinkle a layer of powdered sugar over the almonds.
How about this tiramisu French toast, the amaretto croissants, or the baked almond croissant oats?
