Cream Pie Croissants (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Vanilla Custard Prep
01 -
1 cup half & half or light cream
02 -
Room temperature egg yolks, 3 of them
03 -
1/4 cup sugar, granulated
04 -
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
05 -
A small pinch of salt
06 -
2 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
07 -
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
→ Croissant Filling
08 -
3-4 croissants, roughly 5×4 inches
09 -
Chopped nuts, around 3-4 tablespoons (pecans, almonds, or walnuts)
→ Making the Ganache
10 -
3 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small bits
11 -
1/4 cup light cream or half & half
12 -
1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional, for shine)
# Instructions:
01 -
Grab a wooden stick or skewer and poke holes on both sides near the back of each croissant. Give it a wiggle to make room inside. Put them aside for later.
02 -
In a little pot, mix egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Whisk until smooth—no lumps allowed! Slowly pour in the cream while whisking so it blends well.
03 -
Set the pot over medium heat and keep whisking as it cooks. After 4-6 minutes, it’ll thicken up and smooth out. Take it off the heat right away.
04 -
Whisk in butter cubes, one at a time, melting each before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract. If you want it extra smooth, pour it through a fine strainer.
05 -
Put custard into a piping bag with a long nozzle. Stick the nozzle into the holes you made in the croissants, and fill each one with about a third of the custard.
06 -
In a cool pan, whisk together cream and corn syrup. Heat on medium-low, whisking, until warmed. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chunks until melted. Let it rest for a bit.
07 -
Spread the ganache over the tops of the croissants. Sprinkle the nuts on top as decoration. Pop them in the fridge for an hour before eating.
# Notes:
01 -
If swapping out regular chocolate chunks for chocolate chips, use 4 ounces instead, and cut cream to a little less than 3 tablespoons, with corn syrup reduced to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
02 -
Heavy cream also works instead of half & half, but don’t use regular milk.
03 -
If the ganache feels a bit too runny, chill it for around 15 minutes before spreading it on.