One year ago, I moved to Boston. Marked by the Fourth of July holiday move-in date, this past year has been a whirlwind of new friends, challenging work, sunny sails, and amazing food. I spent this year’s Independence Day out West on a pretty special trip. Mountains, canyons, and deserts, oh my. I never spend much time out past the center of the country, so it was amazing to get over to the West. I couldn’t stop taking in the landscape with mouth aghast.

Switching from one lovely view to another, I’d love to share with you some lazy day, but impressive almond croissants. For indulgent breakfasts and weekends. Plus, these are from Skye’s cookbook, A Table in Venice, which is truly another gorgeous piece of work I love to look at.

A good almond croissant is difficult to find. The first time I had one, I did a little celebratory dance in my head when I hit that sweet, soft center. And that flavor. Almond divinity! Hence, the timing of these on my one-year anniversary in Boston—it deserves a celebration!

Croissants are notoriously time-consuming to make. All of that lamination, starting and stopping to ensure your butter doesn’t get too warm, and the hard work of making the layers if you don’t have a bakery-size dough sheeter. That’s why I love a good puff pastry shortcut. I know, I know. Gasp. But honestly, when you don’t have the time for the ritual of puff, just go with the frozen.

Regardless of homemade versus frozen store-bought puff pastry, the science behind those telltale flaky layers is pretty amazing. When the dough is made, butter is in high proportion which laminates the dough layers as you fold it over and over again. Those layers come alive in the oven. When the water evaporates into steam in the oven, the butter traps the steam in the dough, and the increased pressure forces the layers to puff up.

And there you have it! Puff pastry science love.

Now go make these easy peasy croissants. And your morning will be a million times better. And prettier.

Almond Croissants

Makes 8

Print Recipe

Adapted from A Table in Venice

3.5 oz almond paste (half of a 7oz package)

1 tablespoon apricot jam

1 large egg, separated

1 (17-ounce) package puff pastry, thawed if frozen

¼ cup sliced almonds

Powdered Sugar for topping

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the almond paste, jam, and egg white. Stir with a fork until smooth.
3. On your kitchen counter, unfold one of the parchment sheets and cut in half. Cut each half into two triangles each, making a total of four triangles. The triangles should be approximately 10 in long, and 5 in wide at the bottom.
4. Spoon a teaspoon of the almond mixture onto the base of each triangle so that it is centered and an inch from the side of the pastry. Don’t overfill!
5. Fold the bottom edge of the triangle over the filling, trying to tuck it under, and roll the pastry up as tightly as you can. Gently fold the tips of the roll under, pinching the pastry where needed to seal. Repeat this for the remaining triangles and then repeat for the second sheet of pastry. Gently lift the pastries onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Lightly beat the yolk with a fork, and then use a pastry brush to glaze the tops. Sprinkle liberally with the almonds.
7. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until the pastry is golden all over. Remove the sheet from the oven. Sift the powdered sugar over the tops of the croissants while still piping hot. This allows some of the sugar to melt into the pastry. Let cool slightly, and then lift them off the baking sheet onto a cooling rack. Eat while still warm or when cooled.
8. The croissants will keep in an airtight container for a few days.

Full disclosure: I received A Table in Venice from Clarkson Potter, but all views are my own.