Turn leftover croissants into a Christmas morning breakfast or a dessert. The recipe works best when the croissants are slightly stale, so they soak up the custard and stay moist after baking.
Serves 6-8
day-old croissants 6
strawberry or raspberry jam 165g
butter for spreading, softened
eggs 4
milk 250ml
double cream 250ml
rum or bourbon 30ml
maple syrup 2 tbsp
salt ¼ tsp
vanilla bean 1, seeds scraped
berries and icing sugar to serve
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Split the croissants, then spread one half with jam, the other with butter. Sandwich the halves back together and cut the croissants into large chunks. Lightly butter a baking dish big enough to accommodate the croissants in a slightly overlapping layer.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, rum or bourbon, maple syrup, salt and vanilla seeds. Pour half of the custard over the croissants in the baking dish. Let the liquid soak in completely, then pour in the remaining custard. Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 35-45 minutes. Serve warm with fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar.
Dominique Ansel is chef/owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery