There’s nothing
worse than a stale croissant, I always say. Unless, of course, it’s stale brioche. But thanks to those clever
French – who pretty much think of everything when it comes to pastry – there’s
an excellent way to revive these baked treasures once
they’ve passed their
sell-by date. It involves simply brushing the brioche or sliced croissant with
some sugar syrup, slathering on some Almond Cream (aka frangipane), sprinkling the top with some sliced almonds and baking
them until puffed and golden. The
result is a delicious, warm almond pastry
that’s even better than the original iteration. Patisseries all over employ
this trick, which can be done with homemade croissants and brioche as well as
store-bought. If you do use store-bought, try to get croissants that are
actually made with butter (as opposed to unidentified hydrogenated ingredients), from a reputable source (not, for example,
a street vendor, even if he's French).
