© Kyla Zanardi
Looking for a weekend project? How about croissants? Yes, croissants. I bet you’re thinking you can’t possibly make croissants at home, right? Actually, you might be surprised… I’ve made croissants from scratch, once in a professional kitchen using the traditional method where layers of butter are rolled and folded into the layers of dough – a complex technique that takes the better part of a day to do properly – but don’t worry – this is not the recipe or technique I’m suggesting!
Over the past few years as I worked on recipes for In the French kitchen with kids, I KNEW I had to include a recipe for croissants – but I wanted one that was accessible for everyone. A few years ago, I started seeing recipes for “quick” versions of croissants and I was intrigued and started experimenting, knowing this was something that would definitely appeal to kids (big and small!).
The recipe I eventually settled on (after MUCH – delicious – experimenting!) borrows a technique from the great Julia Child, who borrowed it from Beatrice Ojakangas (author of The Great Scandinavian Baking Book) for inclusion in Baking with Julia. It makes a fluffy, rather than super-flaky, croissant so it’s not quite like you’d get in a bakery but it’s pretty darned good!
This is definitely one of the more “advanced”recipes in the book, because it requires a bit of planning and some precision in the rolling and folding. The good news is that even if they come out looking a little bit odd-shaped, they will still taste buttery and delicious! And hey, practice makes perfect! This recipe is a fabulous weekend – or vacation – project for kids and if you use the suggested timetable, you’ll be amazed and how just a handful of ingredients turn into buttery, flaky goodness (with actually not that much hands-on time at all!).
Want to get baking? I’m thrilled to be sharing the complete recipe for Quick Croissants from In the French kitchen with kids over on The French Barn blog! Click here.
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MY BOOK! In the French kitchen with kids is out now! Click here for details and how to order!
