Pains au Chocolat (Chocolate Croissants)

When I went to France last summer, I vowed to eat a pain au chocolat every morning.  Think buttery, rich croissant dough wrapped around smooth, dark chocolate.  It's sweet, but not too sweet, so it's possible to eat one a day with an espresso.  And if it's made right, it's flaky and shatters when you bite into it, unlike the sad, soft versions I usually find here in the States.  Sure, you'll probably make a mess eating it, but it's sooo worth it.

While I did not succeed in my goal, I can at least say that now I've made my own, and nothing beats a freshly baked pain au chocolat.  For this recipe you'll need croissant dough and chocolate baking sticks.  I sourced mine from King Arthur Flour, but if you wanted, I bet you could just carefully line up some semi-sweet chocolate chips instead.

 
Pains au Chocolat (adapted from Bouchon Bakery)
makes 10

1/2 recipe croissant dough, thawed but still cold
20 chocolate baking sticks
1 egg, beaten and strained (I like to thin this out a little with 1 teaspoon of water)

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

Lightly flour the work surface.  Roll the dough out to a rectangle about 19 x 9 inches.  Trim to a 17 ½ x 8 inch rectangle.  Cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut each half into five 4 x 3 ½ inch rectangles.

 

Set a chocolate baking stick ½ inch up from the bottom of each rectangle.  Turn the bottom edge up and over to cover the baking stick.  Set a second baking stick close to the folded dough.

 

Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash, roll the dough over the second stick, and continue to roll, finishing with the seam on the bottom.  Set on the baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining 9 pieces of dough, spacing them evenly on the baking sheet.*

 
Brush the pains au chocolat with egg wash.  Cover the pans with plastic tubs or cardboard boxes and let proof for about 2 hours.

 
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

 
Brush the pains au chocolat again with egg wash.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through baking and separating the pains if they are touching, until the tops are a rich golden brown and no portions, particularly between the layers, look undercooked.  Set the baking sheet on a rack and cool completely.

 
*At this point I froze some of the shaped pains.  The night before I wanted to eat them, I took them out of the freezer and let them thaw and proof at room temperature overnight.  In the morning I brushed them with egg wash before baking as instructed above. 

Three years ago:  Sweet Potatoe Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter
Four years ago:  Scallion Pancakes

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Almond Croissants

If you managed not to immediately consume all the croissants you've made and have some leftover, this is a great way to use them to create an equally, if not more, delicious pastry.  If you're deliberately saving some croissants for this, I would choose the runts of the litter since you will barely be able to see the croissant underneath the almonds anyways.  This could probably work on non-homemade croissants, too, but you might as well just buy almond croissants then.

 
Almond Croissants (adapted from Bouchon Bakery)
makes 6

Almond Cream
73 g almond meal
7 g all-purpose flour
73 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
73 g powdered sugar
1 large egg

Almond Syrup
75 g sugar
75 g water
15 g almond meal

6 day-old traditional croissants
2 1/4 cups sliced blanched almonds

For the almond cream:  Whisk almond meal and flour together in a small bowl.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium-low until the butter is the consistency of mayonnaise and holds a peak when the paddle is lifted.  Sift in the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until incorporated, then increase the speed to low and mix until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the almond mixture in 2 additions, pulsing to combine and then mixing on low speed for 15-30 seconds after each one.

Add the egg and mix on low speed until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to a covered container and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.  The almond cream can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.

For the almond syrup:  Combine the sugar, water, and almond meal in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Remove from heat and let steep 1 hour.  Strain into a small bowl.  The almond syrup can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.  Spread the sliced almonds out in a shallow bowl or dish.

 
Cut the croissants in half horizontally.

 
Liberally brush each cut side with the almond syrup.

 
Spread about 2 tablespoons of the almond cream onto the bottom half of a croissant.  Place the top half back on and gently press.

 
Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons almond cream on the top of the croissant.

 
Dip the tops of the croissant into the almonds, coating the almond cream generously, and press down to compact.  Arrange the croissants on the prepared baking sheet.

 
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the nuts are golden brown. 

 
Set the baking sheet on a rack and cool completely.

These are best eaten the day they are made but can be stored in a covered container for up to 1 day.

Three years ago:  Kalua Pork
Four years ago:  Mayonnaise Shrimp with Candied Walnuts, Char Siu Bao

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Traditional Croissants

At the end of last year, my company had their annual shut down between Christmas and New Years, and because of the way the two holidays fell this year, it turned into a blissful 11 day staycation.  It was my first time being at home for so long without working, so I decided to finally tackle my cooking "Mount Everest":  croissants.

I remember looking at pictures of how croissant dough was made back in college and thinking, "No.  Freaking.  Way."  First you make a pre-ferment sponge, called a poolish, the night before.  Then you use that to make a yeast dough, then wrap it around a slab of butter and then roll and fold it multiple times in between rounds of chilling, a method called laminating.  If you've gotten that far, you still have to shape it and allow it to rise before finally baking it off.  All in all, I would give it a good 2.5 days from start to finish.

Since I was determined to make croissant dough, I decided to go with the expert and used Thomas Keller's recipe from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook.  There are probably simpler recipes out there, but I wanted the best.  For the European-style butter, I used Kerrygold Irish Butter, which they actually sell at Trader Joe's, and I was able to source the diastatic malt powder from King Arthur Flour.

 
Traditional Croissants (adapted from Bouchon Bakery)
makes 16 croissants

Poolish

100 g all-purpose flour

0.1 g instant yeast

100 g water at 75°F

330 g European-style unsalted butter

Dough

500 g all-purpose flour

75 g sugar

10 g instant yeast

3 g diastatic malt powder

200 g water at 75°F

100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

15 g kosher salt

Egg Wash

1 egg, beaten and strained (I like to thin this out a little with 1 teaspoon of water)

 

For the poolish:  Combine flour and yeast in a medium bowl.  Pour in water and mix.  Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12-15 hours.

 

For the butter block:  Place butter on a piece of parchment paper.  Top with second piece of parchment paper and pound the butter from left to right with a rolling pin to begin to flatten it.  Turn the butter and parchment paper sandwich upside-down and rotate 90 degrees. Continue to flatten the butter until you have a 6 ¾ x 7 ½ inch rectangle.  Wrap tightly in the parchment paper and refrigerate.

For the dough:  Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray.

Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and malt powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and give it a quick mix on the lowest setting.

 

Pour about half the water around the edges of the bowl of poolish to help release it and add to the mixer along with the rest of the water, reserving 50 g (3 ½ tablespoons).  Add the butter and mix on low for 2 minutes to moisten the dry ingredients.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour has been incorporated.

Sprinkle the salt over the top and mix on low for 2 minutes to dissolve the salt.  If the mixture feels at all dry, add the reserved water in very small amounts as needed.  Continue to mix on low speed for 20 minutes.

Run a bowl scraper around the sides and bottom of the bowl to release the dough and turn it out onto a work surface.  Stretch the left side of the dough outward and fold it over the center, then stretch and fold the right side over to the opposite side, as if you were folding a letter. Repeat the process, working from the bottom and then the top.  Turn the dough over, lift it up with a bench scraper, and place it seam side down in the prepared bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

 

Line the quarter sheet pan with parchment paper.  Uncover the dough, run the bowl scraper around the sides and bottom of the bowl to release the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, disturbing the structure as little as possible.  Gently but firmly pat the dough into a rectangle about 10 x 7 ½ inches, pressing any large gas bubbles to the edges and then out of the dough.  Transfer to the sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes.

To encase the butter and roll the dough:  Lightly flour the work surface and a heavy rolling pin.  Turn the dough out onto the work surface and lightly dust the top with flour.  Roll the dough outward from the center, rotating it frequently and flipping and fluffing it from time to time, adding just enough flour to the work surface, dough, and/or pin to prevent sticking, until you have a 16 x 7 ½ x ½ inch thick rectangle.

 

Lay the block of butter across the center of the dough.  Stretch and fold over the two longer sides so they meet in the center and pinch together to seal.  There should be no exposed butter at the top of the block, but you will see the butter on the sides.

 

For turn 1:  Using the rolling pin, press down firmly on the dough across the seam from one side to the other to expand the dough.  Turn the dough so a short end faces you.  Roll to expand the length of the dough, flipping, fluffing, and turning the dough over and adding flour only as needed, until you have a rectangle ~22 x 9 inches and 3/8 inch thick.

 

Fold the bottom third of the dough up as if you were folding a letter.  Fold the top third down to cover the bottom third.  Turn the block 90 degrees so the dough resembles a book, with the opening on the right.  You will continue this pattern with each roll, and keeping the opening on the right will help you remember how to position the dough.  You have completed your first turn; gently press a finger into a corner to mark it.  Return to the sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes or until the dough has stiffened but is not hard.

 

For turn 2:  Lightly dust the work surface with flour.  Place the dough on the work surface with the opening on the right.  It is important to work with the dough as quickly as possible, but not at the risk of exposing the butter.  Pressing on the dough will warm the butter; if it is too cold, it will shatter rather than spread as you roll it.  Expand the dough by pressing down firmly with the rolling pin, working up the length of the dough.  If the dough cracks at all along the edges, stop and let it warm slightly at room temperature. Then roll out the dough as you did before to a 22 x 9 x 3/8 inch thick rectangle and repeat the folding.  Turn the block 90 degrees, so the opening is on the right.  Gently press 2 fingers into a corner to mark the dough.  Return to the sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes or until the dough has stiffened but is not hard.

 

For turn 3:  Repeat all of the steps for turn 2 and mark the dough with 3 fingerprints.

To finish the dough:  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly dust the work surface with flour.  Place the dough on the work surface with the opening on the right.

It is especially critical at this stage that the dough remain cold; freeze as needed.  Lightly dust the top of the dough and roll it outward from the center, flipping, fluffing, and rotating the dough and turning it over, adding only enough flour to the work surface, dough, and/or pin as necessary to prevent sticking.  Roll the dough out to 24 x 9 inches.

 

Cut the dough crosswise in half, making two 12 x 9 inch rectangles.  Stack on the sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper between them, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes, or until the dough has stiffened but is not hard.*

Spray two sheet pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper (or just use 1 sheet pan if only using half the batch of dough).

Lightly flour the work surface.  Remove one piece of dough from the freezer and position it on the work surface with the short end towards you; transfer the second piece of dough (if using at this time) to the refrigerator.  Roll the dough out to a rectangle 19 x 9 inches.

Turn the dough so that a long side is facing you and trim it to 18 inches long.  Trim the remaining sides only as needed for straight edges.

 

Cut the dough in half, crosswise, so that you have two squares, about 9 x 9 inches wide.  Then cut each squash in half so that you end up with four rectangles.  Cut each rectangle diagonally so that you end up with 8 right triangles.

 

Hold one triangle up by the base with one hand and, using your fingertips, gently pull the dough until it is stretched to about 12 inches.

Put the dough on the work surface, with the base of the triangle close to you.  Fold over the corners to the center of the base and roll the dough up from the wide end to the tip.  Put on a prepared sheet with the tail tucked under.  Press down slightly, flattening the croissant just enough so that it will not roll on the pan.  Repeat with the remaining 7 triangles of dough, spacing them evenly on the sheet pan.

Remove the second piece of dough from the refrigerator, and, if necessary, let sit at room temperature until warmed enough to roll, then repeat to make 8 more croissants.  

Brush the croissants with the egg wash.  Cover the pans with plastic tubs or cardboard boxes and let proof for about 2 hours.  

Position the racks in the upper and lower two-thirds of the oven.  Preheat to 350°F.

Brush the croissants again with egg wash.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through baking and separating the croissants if they are touching, until the tops are a rich golden brown and no portions, particularly between the layers, look undercooked.  Set the pans on a rack and cool completely.

The croissants are best the day they are baked.  Thomas Keller suggests freezing the baked croissants in several layers of plastic wrap if you have any leftover, but I actually prefer to freeze the croissants after they have been shaped and before they have proofed.  Then, the night before you want to eat the croissants, you can move them to the refrigerator to thaw and rise slowly.  The next morning, let them come to room temperature, brush with egg wash, and then bake according to the directions above.  Or let them thaw and rise at room temperature if you only have a few hours.

As you can see in the picture above, I only baked 4 of the croissants in the first batch and didn't do a great job of shaping them (he wasn't kidding about the need to tuck the tail of the croissant underneath).  They still shattered nicely when I took a bite but were a little bland in taste.  My friend, Tammy, encouraged me by reminding me that more flavor would develop in dough that was sitting in the freezer, and she was right!

 
The next day I thawed out and baked another batch of croissants, and they definitely had a deeper flavor.  As an added bonus, they also rose a lot more.  So I would definitely encourage you to let the dough sit in the refrigerator overnight (or in the freezer if you're not baking them the next day) if you have the time, hence the 2.5 days needed to make a batch of croissants.

*I actually saved one of the two laminated sheets in the freezer to make pains au chocolat (chocolate croissants).  If you have leftover baked croissants, you can use those to make almond croissants the next day!  And for the really ambitious, you can also make cronuts out of this dough.

Three years ago:  Banana Bread Yeasted Waffles
Four years ago:  Nian Gao (Mochi Cake), Red Bean Ice Cream

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Thomas Keller's Lemon Tart

 
After years and years of not owning a tart pan, I finally bought one, and the first thing I wanted to do was make Thomas Keller's lemon tart. My friend, Ellen, had made one with her family and they had raved about how good the pine nut crust was, so I knew I needed to try it.

The pine nut crust recipe makes enough for 3 tarts but is hard to divide since it only uses one egg. Go ahead and make the full recipe and keep the leftover dough in the fridge where it will keep for a couple of days or the freezer, where it will keep for a month, because after you taste it, you'll just want to make more.

Pine Nut Crust (from Bouchon)
makes enough for 3 tart crusts

2 cups pine nuts
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 
Place the pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times.  Add the sugar and flour and continue to pulse until the nuts are finely ground.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

 
Add the butter, egg, and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate all the ingredients (the dough can be mixed by hand or in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment).  Divide the dough into three equal parts.  Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before using.

 
Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.

 
Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator.  Use your fingertips to press the chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  I found that the easiest way to do this was to fill in the sides of the pan first, and then press down whatever dough is left into the bottom. That way you don't have to worry about making sure there is enough dough to evenly press into the sides if you started in the middle.

 
Prick the tart crust with a fork to prevent it from puffing up unevenly.  Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is golden brown.  Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you make the filling.

The filling for this lemon tart is made using the sabayon method, which means the eggs, lemon juice, and sugar are first cooked over boiling water and then incorporated with the butter.

Lemon Tart (from Bouchon)
makes 1 tart

1 pre-baked Pine Nut Crust
2 large eggs, cold
2 large egg yolks, cold
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a medium pot.  Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth.

 
Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating).  After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice.  Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice.  Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice.  Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl.  The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes.

 
Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water.  Whisk in the butter a piece at a time.  The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools.  Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.

 
Preheat the broiler.  While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler.  Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven.  Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.

 
As you can see from the picture above, I didn't do a great job with broiling the top evenly.  It would've been a lot easier with one of those mini blowtorches that you use for creme brulee, I think.

 
As with all Thomas Keller recipes, this is not simple to make, but delicious to eat.  Since I still had enough crust for 2 more tarts, I decided to try a super easy lemon tart recipe next.

Three years ago:  Homemade Waffle Face Off
Four years ago:  Hot Pot, Tang Yuan

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