Chef To The Stars

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Almond Croissants With Almond Cream Filling

Delicate and flaky almond croissants made in your own kitchen! This recipe uses day-old croissants that are filled with a rich and creamy almond cream filling. The result is delicious bakery-style croissants with an abundance of buttery almond flavor.

Ingredients
8 one-day-old medium/large croissants, left at room temp uncovered overnight
3 Tbsp sliced almonds
Powdered, Confectioner's sugar for dusting
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp rum, optional, but highly recommended. You can use 1 tsp Vanilla extract instead
1 Cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup almond meal/almond flour, or 2/3 cup whole blanched almonds, but you'll need a good food processor to process almonds into an almond meal
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick, 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp, sliced
2 large eggs

Instructions
How to Make the Syrup:
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 2 Tbsp sugar and 4 Tbsp rum. Bring to a simmer for a minute and stir until the sugar dissolves then remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
How to Make the Almonds Filling:
If using whole almonds: combine 1/2 cup sugar, 2/3 cup almonds and 1/8 tsp salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until finely ground. Add the butter, and mix again until well blended. Add in the eggs one by one, and process on high speed until creamy and fluffy.
If using almond meal or almond flour: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup almond meal and 1/8 tsp salt. Mix until well incorporated, then blend in the butter. Finally add the eggs 1 at a time and mix on med/high speed until the whole mixture is creamy and fluffy with a frosting-like consistency.
Assembling your French Almond Croissants:
Preheat the oven to 350° F . Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
After your croissants have been on the counter drying out overnight, and you're ready to use them, slice each croissant horizontally like you would for a sandwich.
Work with each croissant one by one: dip it into the syrup, coating both sides and the ends well. The croissant should be quite moist, but not soaking wet. Just dip it once on each side.
Arrange the croissants on a baking dish, cut side up. Spread about 2 Tbsp of almond filling on the bottom half of each croissant.
Place the top halves on and spread about 1 Tbsp of almond filling over the top. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Bake on the center rack for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cream is golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature or just warm. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. These are best served the same day they are made.

One more German dish.. Semmelknödel... German Bread Dumplings in a Cranberry Gastrique ... 😋😋😋

Ingredients
11 ounces of white crusty bread left to sit out for a few days to get hard and then diced into small cubes
Note: It’s more convenient to use bags of unseasoned bread stuffing – it’s already cubed, simply let it dry out a little longer. (I do not advise using croutons though as they’re too hard.)
1 cup hot milk
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup very finely diced yellow onion
4 strips bacon, diced and fried until crisp , optional for a variation called Speckknödel (Bacon Bread Dumplings)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten with a fork
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt (you can use less if using bacon)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
breadcrumbs, if needed

Instructions
Chop the hardened bread into small cubes and place them in a large bowl. Pour the hot milk over the bread, cover and let sit for 20-30 minutes or until softened.
Heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the onions just until transparent, do not brown them. Add the cooked onions to the bread mixture along with the eggs, cooked bacon (if using), parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Knead the mixture together with your hands until very thoroughly combined, breaking up as many of the bread cubes as you can until it’s a soft and chunky-smooth consistency. If the dough is too wet, add breadcrumbs (not flour).

Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking and form Knödel about the size of a tennis ball (they will expand slightly when cooked). Press the Knoedel between your palms to make sure they're nice and compact. Bring a large, wide pot of lightly salted water to a very light simmer – not boiling but just on the verge of boiling with tiny fizzy bubbles floating up. Carefully drop the Semmel Knoedel in the water and let them "steep" 15-20 minutes. Do not at any point let the water boil or you risk your Knödel losing shape or falling apart. Carefully lift them out with a slotted spoon.
Serve with Rouladen, Sauerbraten, Sunbeaten, Geschnetzeltes, Jaegerschnitzel, etc.
To Freeze The Knödel: Let them cool completely, place them spread apart on a cookie sheet and freeze them, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. To reheat, let them thaw and reheat them covered (to create some steam) in the microwave.
Makes 6-7 Semmelknödel, depending on the size.