Creamy Chocolate Croissants (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Vanilla Custard Ingredients
01 -
3 egg yolks, kept at room temperature
02 -
1 cup of either half & half or light cream
03 -
1/4 cup of regular sugar
04 -
A pinch of salt
05 -
1 and a half tablespoons of cornstarch
06 -
2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small chunks
07 -
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring
→ Croissant Ingredients
08 -
Three or four croissants, measuring 5×4 inches each
09 -
Nuts of your choice (walnuts, pecans, or almonds), chopped roughly, 3-4 tablespoons
→ Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
10 -
3 oz of semi-sweet or dark chocolate, broken into chunks
11 -
1/4 cup of light cream or half & half
12 -
1 tablespoon of corn syrup for shine (optional)
# Instructions:
01 -
Take a wooden skewer and poke two holes on the opposite sides of the back part of each croissant. Wiggle it around to make space inside. Put them to the side when done.
02 -
Put egg yolks, sugar, a pinch of salt, and cornstarch into a small saucepan. Use a whisk to mix everything until smooth—no lumps of cornstarch should remain. Slowly pour in the cream, whisking the whole time until the mixture looks consistent.
03 -
Heat the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with your whisk. It should thicken and smooth out in about 4-6 minutes. Immediately take it off the heat when it’s ready.
04 -
Drop in the butter, piece by piece, whisking each one in before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla until it’s fully mixed. For an ultra-smooth texture, you can strain the custard through a fine sieve.
05 -
Get a piping bag ready with a long nozzle tip and load it with the custard. Put the nozzle into the holes you made in each croissant and fill them up, using about a third of the custard per croissant.
06 -
Pour the cream and corn syrup (if using) into a small saucepan, but don’t turn on the heat yet. Use a whisk to mix them. Heat it gently over medium or medium-low until it’s hot, stirring all the time. Pull it off the stove and add the chocolate chunks. Let them melt completely while you stir. Give it a few minutes to cool down.
07 -
Spread the ganache over the top of the filled croissants using a spoon. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top. Let them chill for an hour before you dig in.
# Notes:
01 -
If you’re using regular chocolate chips, grab 4 oz instead and reduce the cream to about 3 tablespoons and corn syrup to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
02 -
Heavy cream works as a replacement for half & half or light cream, but whole milk isn’t a good substitute.
03 -
If your ganache seems too liquidy, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up a bit before glazing.