Last summer in Paris I saw croissants in every pâtisserie and boulangerie I visited-- and I visited many! I’d remembered savoring their flaky, buttery goodness in college days and on subsequent visits to the city of lights. But this time around I noticed that the ones I consumed tasted just like the kind I buy in a bag at the local grocery store. In talking with one of the friendlier shop owners (and friendly Parisians can be hard to come by) I learned that many shops now bake premade frozen croissants and put them into their cases each day. Still, they tasted good and I was pleased to know that we in The States are eating just as well as the Parisians in the croissant department.
You may be surprised to know that croissants are actually the French version of an older Austrian pastry called Kipferl. The French version is a little lighter and flakier, and named for its crescent shape.
Today is National Croissant Day. Croissants are readily available everywhere from drive-thru breakfast sandwiches, to the coffee shops on every corner, to our local groceries. You can even make them from scratch. The recipe isn’t difficult, but it is time consuming, so I tend to buy mine at the supermarket. But when I want to make a quick and easy dish using croissants I buy a tube of crescent rolls from the grocery refrigerator case, and roll my desired fillings inside of each triangular piece of dough. I stuff them full enough that the fillings become the star of the meal. The process is fast and the result satisfying, though unlikely to win any food awards.
I’m using this quick process to make the Ham and Cheese Croissants from Easy Weekly Meals for College Students pictured here. Give it a try if you’d like a fast, yummy, and inexpensive way to enjoy “home-baked” croissants for National Croissant Day. Or, like our Facebook Page today to receive a free copy of that recipe.
Enjoy!
Photo Courtesy of EasyWeeklyMeals.com
