Turn store-bought croissants into earl grey almond croissants with crisp and caramelized layers filled with a sweet almond frangipane filling and a touch of earl grey flavour!
Heat water in a small pot until boiling. Turn off the heat. Steep earl grey tea bags in boiling water for 5 minutes. Discard used tea bags.
Add sugar to the pot of tea and return to medium heat. Heat until all the sugar as dissolved.
Pour earl grey syrup into a jar or squeeze bottle and let cool completely. Simple syrup can be kept in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Almond Frangipane
In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat in softened butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Add in eggs and almond extract and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
Transfer frangipane to a piping tip and snip off an inch off the tip of the bag.
Assembling the Almond Croissants
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut each croissant in half down the side like a hamburger bun. Brush both cut sides of each croissant with earl grey simple syrup until the bread is moistened but not completely soaked.
Pipe almond frangipane onto one half of each croissant. Place the top half of each croissant back on top of the frangipane.
Pipe another stripe of frangipane on the tops of each croissant and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the croissants are deep golden brown and crispy.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. Dust the tops with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
Make the simple syrup and frangipane the day before to save time. Simple syrup can keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and frangipane can keep for 1-2 days.
Save the leftover earl grey simple syrup and pour it over pancakes, waffles, or add to cocktails.