Buttery and Chocolate-Filled Croissants

My Starbucks drink changes depending on the season. In the winter, I used to get a Caramel Brulee or Gingerbread latte, until this year when they released the Chestnut Praline (which tastes like Christmas!). In the summer, I opt for an iced Americano, room for cream, and two shots of Toffee Nut flavor. Occasionally, I'll even change it up completely and get a half sweetened iced green tea.

However, the one thing that never changes is that I always get a croissant. A butter croissant, a fruit-filled croissant, a chocolate croissant. It doesn't matter, as long as it's that flaky, golden, French pastry.

The smell and taste are perfect: buttery, like a young unoaked Chardonnay. The texture, flaky, as it melts in your mouth. But what really gets me is the sound, when you break it in half. That light "crr-aunch."

The other night we watched Ratatouille, and there's a scene where Colette is explaining to Linguini (And Remy, hidden under a hat) that you can tell a perfect baguette by its sound. This is how I feel about croissants.

I've probably spent hundreds of dollars eating these delectable pastries over the years, never giving a thought as to how I'd make my own. I didn't even bother.

But when I saw a recipe in Homemade Decadence (the cookbook by Joy the Baker, check it out!) I decided I had to make my own. I was a little disappointed that hers didn't include a recipe for the puff pastry, but with a little digging I found this one from Food Cookture.

I made six plain croissants and six chocolate-filled. I just used semi-sweet chocolate chips in a pile in the middle of a triangle and rolled them up like Pillsbury crescent rolls. I even gave them a little curve, so they would be that perfect moon shape.

I wish it were a little warmer outside so that I could make a cafe au lait, and sit out on my porch wearing a striped sweater, pretending that I'm in a little French bistro. However, with the negative windchills of late, I'll stick to indoor seating for these little munchie. I'll still have the coffee though, please and thank you.

Easy Homemade Puff Pastry recipe from Food Cookture
Yields enough for two dough pieces of approximately 12x10in (30cm x 25cm) in size
Prep time: 20 min + resting time (at least 30min)

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups (250g) flour
• 11 TBL (155g) unsalted butter (you can even use as little as 8 TBL (115g) for even lighter pastry but it will be a little flatter, which is ok for tarts)
• Pinch of salt
• 10-12 TBL ice-cold water (start with 10 TBL, depending on the flour, you may need to add another tablespoon or two)
• *plus 1 egg for the egg wash before baking (see note below)

Directions:

1. Sift flour and salt in a bowl. Add the ice water to the flour mixture.
2. Cut butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture using a pastry blender (or a food processor) cut through the butter into the flour. You should still have little pieces of butter Note: If you do not have a pastry blender or a food processor, you can use a fork to cut through the butter in the flour. Avoid using your hands so the butter remains cold.
3. Once you obtain somewhat of a dough mixture (the dough will get smoother once you roll it), transfer to a lightly floured surface.
4. Using a rolling pin, start rolling the dough while bringing loose pieces of flour and butter into the mixture. Note: Flour the rolling pin often so the butter does not stick to it while you roll the dough.

See the rest of this recipe at Food Cookture.

Friday Five Things: 10/04/13

Welcome back to Friday Five Things, and my first edition brought to you from the great state of Arizona. You already know a lot about me moving across the country, so I'll try not to talk too much about the actual moving process or decorating, since there will be plenty of posts dedicated to those topics.

Quick 'n Easy Coffee

I've become one of those people who can't function without their coffee.

When I moved into my apartment for summer, they had all the kitchen basics - except a coffee maker! I didn't want to drop money I don't have on an expensive coffee machine, and I also don't want to acquire new "things" since I'm in a constant state of moving.

Friday Five Things [03/22/13]

Time for Friday Five Things! Here's what's been on my mind this week, or just today. Just little things that either I don't have enough to say for a full post, or perhaps will inspire a longer post later.

Snow on the ground, still!

1. Well, it's technically spring. However, the weather would not let you believe it for a second. Wednesday it was snowing. Thursday was a gorgeous high of 29, and today it's forecasted to be snow showers again. Hopefully the predictions are right, and it starts to get a little warmer over the weekend. We need some sunshine and outdoorsy weather up here!