Croissant reinvented
One of the things I look forward to whenever I’m in Japan is the total immersion in authentic Japanese cuisine. For me, it’s simply marvelous to be in Japan while feasting on some of my favorite Japanese dishes such as the rich, buttery hamachi sushi, garnished with daikon and shiso leaves, the crisp vegetable and shrimp tempura with a dip hinting of radish and ginger, and of course, there’s the succulent, richly marbled Wagyu and Kobe beef.
But on a recent trip to Kobe, I made a totally unexpected discovery. In the midst of all the fresh seafood, miso soup, ramen and sashimi, I found a French delicacy in a totally different format: croissant, but flat like a pancake. Naturally, they called it flattened croissant.
Said to have been invented in a Korean bakery a few years ago, flattened croissant has since gone viral on social media. It was only a matter of time before this reinvented delicacy reached nearby Japan±and during our recent trip, my daughter Pia quickly spotted it.
One bite of flattened croissant is enough to get anyone hooked. While the best croissant is light, airy and flaky, this version of it is crisp, with a caramelized topping that crackles with every bite. It’s so irresistible that Pia would wake up early in the morning and walk to the nearby bakeshop just to make sure she gets some flattened croissants before the supply runs out (and it does run out early in the day).
I myself am not a big fan of croissants, mainly because it is so packed with calories. But when I tasted Pia’s latest haul from the bakeshop, I was hooked. Who would have thought that this classic French bread can be reformatted into something even more fabulous?
Back in Manila, I knew my best bet for tasting this delicacy again was to make it myself. To my delight, I quickly found some recipes for it—and just as quickly tested the recipes. Surprisingly, it was so easy to do. Croissant, its main ingredient, is widely available in Manila’s bakeshops (the French Baker being my first go-to store). Croissant is also very pliable—it quickly yields to the pressure from the rolling pin, and transforms into a flattened shape after just a few gentle kneading. The rest of the ingredients for making flattened croissant are standard fare in any typical cupboard: butter, sugar, cooking oil and perhaps, honey or maple syrup (even pancake syrup will do).
Here’s the recipe for flattened croissant. Warning: once you’ve tried it, there’s no turning back. It’s like something you can’t unsee. You may find yourself craving a bite of a rich, crisp, buttery flattened croissant even in your dreams.
Flattened Croissant
You will need:
- Parchment paper (or non-stick baking paper)
- Rolling pan
- Nonstick pan
- Nonstick cooking spray or cooking oil
- Heavy saucepan
Ingredients:
- 4 croissants
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup brown sugar or muscovado sugar
- Honey or maple syrup (optional)
Procedure:
Microwave each croissant for 10 to 15 seconds to soften it slightly. Put each croissant between two sheets of parchment paper. Pass a rolling pin on top of the parchment paper to flatten the croissant. Do this gently so the croissant does not tear.
In a bowl, mix together the butter and brown sugar until well combined. Brush all sides of each croissant with the mixture (best to use a pastry brush for this). Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray or brush lightly with cooking oil. Heat the skillet on medium high.
Lay a flattened croissant on the heated skillet. Cover the top of the croissant with a piece of nonstick baking paper. Put the heavy saucepan on top of the nonstick baking paper to further flatten the croissant. Heat for about one minute or until the croissant becomes crisp. Transfer the croissant to a clean plate.
If desired, drizzle with honey or maple syrup. Repeat with remaining croissants and butter mixture. Makes two to four servings.
Notes:
You can make variations of this by dipping one side of the flattened croissant in melted chocolate or caramel.
Or, you can pat some hazelnut spread on the flattened croissant or drizzle it with butter cream frosting or cream cheese frosting.
A cast iron pan is heavy enough to use for further flattening the croissant in the skillet.
