This Simple French Pastry Tastes Simply Like an Almond Croissant—and Takes Method Much less Time to Make

Most eating places that serve contemporary bread make extra bread than they’ll serve, abandoning loads of leftovers. Once I cooked professionally, I typically went residence with a contemporary loaf on the finish of every night time; as a younger prepare dinner making $15 an hour, it was unattainable to show down free meals, and I rapidly collected a stash of bread in my freezer.

I made quite a lot of toast, ate quite a lot of sandwiches, and stuffed my pantry with croutons and breadcrumbs. However my favourite method to make use of the loaves was for bostock, a French pastry of sliced bread (usually brioche) slathered with aromatic almond cream, topped with sliced almonds, then baked till puffy and golden brown. It tastes like an almond croissant, but it surely’s a lot simpler to organize—particularly if you have already got a jar of store-bought or selfmade almond cream available. My recipe under consists of directions for making the almond cream from scratch and you may hold it within the fridge for a few week; you can too purchase almond cream from specialty grocers or on-line.) Right here’s tips on how to make nice bostock at residence.

4 Suggestions for Making the Very Finest Bostock

Toast the nuts for the almond cream. Almond cream, which is usually mistaken for frangipane outdoors of France, is what provides bostock its wealthy nuttiness. My bostock makes use of Critical Eats contributor Zola Gregory’s almond cream recipe; to boost the flavour and aroma of the nuts, Gregory toasts the almond flour earlier than incorporating it into the almond cream, and seasons it generously with almond extract, vanilla extract, and brandy. It’s a easy step that goes a great distance, and the ensuing almond cream is rather more aromatic than one made with untoasted almond flour.

Incorporate some fruit. In my recipe under, I give the pastry successful of citrus by brushing either side of the bread with orange juice, which retains it moist, and spreading a layer of orange marmalade throughout the bread earlier than topping it with the almond cream. Freshly squeezed orange juice is sweet, however for those who don’t have any available, store-bought juice is simply nice. As a result of marmalade is made with complete oranges—pores and skin and all—the condiment has a pleasant bittersweet taste that offsets the sweetness of the almond cream.

High it with sliced almonds. Whereas bostock is scrumptious by itself, the pastry could be very comfortable with out the topping of sliced almonds. The nuts toast because the bostock bakes and supply a vital and satisfying crunch and in addition give the bostock a further layer of taste.

Bake till simply agency to the contact. At room temperature, uncooked almond cream is thick and spreadable. Because it bakes, the almond cream takes on a cake-like texture. Like many truffles, the almond cream will start to puff because it bakes. Don’t be fooled by appearances: If it isn’t a light-weight golden brown and simply agency to the contact, it isn’t performed cooking but, and wishes extra time. Although barely denser than an aerated cake, it ought to spring again barely when pressed.

Now that I now not work in eating places, I’ve to purchase brioche to make my bostock. It is a very small value to pay for this scrumptious pastry. Add a cup of espresso and it is a great candy breakfast or afternoon deal with. 

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