Fall

Alex Raij's Croissants a la Plancha

by:
April 30, 2013
3.7
3 Ratings
Alex Raij's Croissants a la Plancha
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 1
Author Notes

A simple way "to revive a dead croissant and make it even better than on day one," as chef Alex Raij of La Vara, Txikito, and El Quinto Pino explains it. When you expose the once-spongy, breathing middles of a croissant, you get a delicate web of pastry that takes very well to toasting on a hot surface. The spindly edges and corners get crackly, like a sfogliatelle just out of the oven, while everything below the surface warms and softens. Serve with a cortado.

—Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the pan
  • 1 tablespoon local honey
  • 1/2 vanilla bean
  • Salt
  • 1 croissant, split (day old is fine)
  • Orange Marmalade, for serving
  • Powdered Sugar, for serving
Directions
  1. To make the honey butter: Blend butter with honey, caviar (a.k.a. the scraped seeds) from the half vanilla bean, and a large pinch of salt. Stir to combine.
  2. Heat a large non-stick pan with a small amount of butter. Brown the croissant cut sides down and turn to brown the outer sides. Present on plate cut side up dusted with powdered sugar. Serve with good orange marmalade and honey butter. Store leftover honey butter in the refrigerator.
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Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

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6 Reviews

Donna H.
Donna H. March 15, 2017
What happens if you don't use local honey...
 
sevenfaces
sevenfaces September 27, 2014
So happy to have found this recipe. Effort close to zero, result heavenly.
 
Sheilad2000
Sheilad2000 July 20, 2014
This sounds much yummier than my solution, which is to split the poor dead croissant and pop the two halves in the toaster.
 
Kelly
Kelly June 11, 2014
This is my breakfast of choice when in Spain. Croissant a la plancha con marmelada de melocoton y mantiquilla (yummy)
 
beejay45
beejay45 July 18, 2013
I've just been debating buying a dozen or so croissants because we love them. Some always get stale. I do make almond croissants with those, but there are only so many of them you want to eat. But this sounds wonderful. I love the butter mixture, too. I think that will be something I make to have on hand always. Thanks!
 
glutwin
glutwin May 15, 2013
THIS IS SIMPLY STUNNING...Perfection on a plate...as well as a no-stress solution to "dead" croissants which run rampant in our French household! Now I know what to do about Sunday brunch when I DO NOT FEEL like getting up at the crack of dawn to begin concocting something "brunch-worthy"..I thank you from the deepest parts of my heart!