We have the French to thank for inventing croissants and lucky for us they did as there’s something inherently satisfying about the flaky layers of pastry and the smell of freshly baked croissants that’s hard to beat. While I have made croissants from scratch in the past just to see for myself if I could -they are too time consuming and fiddly. So I usually buy them frozen, then bake them when I need to, which means that I don’t miss out on that freshly baked feeling.

Pistachio Croissants — Flaky pastry layers filled and topped with Pistachio Frangipane

But what do you do when you’ve got day old croissants in your hands? A quick spell in the oven should do the trick, but if you want something truly special, why not try Pistachio and Orange Blossom Croissants? The Pistachio Frangipane Filling transforms the stale pastries into something out of this world delicious! Flaky layers of pastry, creamy pistachio filling that’s lightly fragrant with Orange Blossoms. Heavenly! Best of all, they’re so easy to make, that is, if you start from store bought.

What you need to make Pistachio and Orange Blossom Croissants

Croissants – preferably day old. For this recipe, I use 2 x4 packets of croissants which are available from either Woolies or Coles.
Pistachio Frangipane– Pistachio and Almond Meal, Caster Sugar,Butter and Egg. The quantity specified in the recipe below is enough to fill and top 8 small croissants (12x5cm) or 6 large.
Orange Blossom Syrup– Caster Sugar and a drop of Orange Blossom Water. If you don’t have Orange Blossom Water, substitute with finely grated zest of 1 Orange or Lemon.
Icing Sugar and Pistachio Pieces for garnish. Pre chopped pistachio pieces are available from Middle Eastern shops.

Easy does it..

Prepare the Pistachio Frangipane: Blitz the pistachios until finely ground. Mix with almond flour. Beat together caster sugar and softened butter until smooth,add egg then fold in the pistachio mix. In case you’re wondering why 80g of pistachio, it’s because in my part of the world they are sold in 80g packets. It can be 100g if you have it. You need a total of 1 cup of combined pistachio and almond meal, ideally 50/50.
Make the Orange Blossom Syrup: Combine water and caster sugar in a small saucepan. Add orange blossom water or orange zest to the pan. Bring to the boil, then set aside to cool.
Fill and Top Croissants: Slice croissants horizontally using a bread knife. Brush the cut sides of both halves of each croissants generously with the orange blossom syrup. Spread the bottom half with the pistachio frangipane filling and replace the top half. Spread the top of each croissant with a little bit of the frangipane then garnish with pistachio pieces.
Bake Filled Croissants: Place the filled croissants on a baking pan and bake in a preheated oven until golden and crispy. Cool slightly and dust with Icing Sugar.