Almond Croissant Cookies

Almond Croissant Cookies have taken the internet by storm - but my version has a bit of a twist. I use buttery puff pastry with a homemade frangipane filling with sliced almonds and powdered sugar on top! These sweet treats are croissants in cookie form!

Ok, I've been seeing a ton of renditions of the almond croissant cookie all over tik tok. But guess what? None of them actually feature any croissant-like ingredients!

They're probably all delicious, but I wanted to incorporate the croissant portion into the recipe. So, I used puff pastry and homemade almond paste (which is super easy to make so don't let the word "homemade" scare you away). 

I also add sliced almonds to the tops of the cookies - and when I tell you these "cookies" are freaking delicious?! Whoa. So good.

You get the comforting warmth of a croissant with an extra crunch and the rich almond flavor with a fraction of the work. They're literally mini almond croissants and SO much easier to make than the real deal.

Best part, you don't need a stand mixer or anything fancy. Let's make it together, Happy Baking! 

Ingredients

• Store Bought Puff Pastry Sheets - I used puff pastry as opposed to a sugar cookie dough to get the feeling of traditional almond croissants. The pastry provides those buttery flaky layers that we all love - it gives the true essence of a traditional almond croissant!

• Almond Flour - it's important to get finely ground almond flour so that you get that truly satisfying texture that isn't crunchy, but more smooth. Almond flour is made from ground almonds and comes in different texture, so make sure it's finely ground! Do not use almond meal, it's not the same thing.

• Butter - what's a recipe without butter? It makes everything better, including this almond croissant cookies recipe. We'll be using room temperature unsalted butter in the filling. 

• Eggs - just one large egg acts as a binder in the filling so that it'll hold together and not seep out of the pastry while baking in the oven.

• Almond Extract - almond extract gives the almond filling that rich almond flavor. This recipe is for my almond lovers because the flavor is just tres magnifique! 

• Vanilla Bean Paste - vanilla extract also works here, but we're going for that rich vanilla flavor to compliment the almond flavors - it's a true delight. 

How to make Almond Croissant Cookies

Make the Frangipane Filling:

Combine room temperature butter sugar in a bowl. Mix together until combined, then add an egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix until smooth and combined, about 1 minute.

Fold in almond flour, all purpose flour, and kosher salt. Mix until all of the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Use a hand mixer to mix everything together and place in the refrigerator until we're ready to use it.

Assemble the cookie:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Let the puff pastry sit at room temperature for 15 minutes (this will make it easier to work with). Add a generous scattering of all purpose flour to your work station/counter top.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry sheet until it's about ¼ inch thick. 

Use a 2 inch cookie cutter and press out circles into the puff pastry sheets. Add about almond paste to the center of one of the circles and place another circle on top. Press the edges with a fork to seal, then place the cookie cutter on top again to seal the edges completely.

Place onto the prepared baking sheet and place into the freezer for 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Bake:

Brush the tops of the dough with an egg yolk and add the sliced almond on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.

Fresh out of the oven, top with a dusting of powdered sugar.  Enjoy with a cup of coffee or all by itself - they're pockets of buttery flaky heaven! 

These are best eaten fresh out of the oven but will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container stored at room temperature.

What to eat with Almond Croissants

I like to eat my croissant cookies with a cup of coffee but also, eating them by themselves is delicious! I've seen people adding a drizzle of honey for additional sweetness and I think that's a great idea too.

Tips

• Don't skip freezing time! Puff pastry has to be cold in order for it to become flaky when it bakes. Make sure to freeze for 20 minutes prior to baking.
• Don't overfill the cookies! Try not to add more than 2 teaspoons of the almond paste to each cookie. It can be tempting to add more, but when baking, the filling will bubble out and become messy.

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