The croissant alone represents an idyll of the pastry counters. It is at once flaky and doughy, airy and buttery. The magic of baking transforms the simple concoction of fat sealed in a block of dough into something much more. But as decadent as the plain croissant is—it is basically a way of baking butter—the almond croissant takes the concept a step further. It starts with a regular, plain croissant, then embellishes it by slicing it, filling it with almond paste or cream, then topping it with some variation of almond paste or cream, powdered sugar and slivered almonds. What this combination produces is something distinctly nutty and sweet (but often not too sweet)—and something that can be a whole breakfast, an indulgent snack or a treat to be sliced up and shared among 10 friends for a bite of heaven each. It’s no wonder that local bakery after local bakery claim almond croissants are the most popular seller. Paris Bakery in Monterey reports this is the only pastry they bake all day every day, because demand continues unabated. Try finding almond croissants at Alta Bakery in Monterey—good luck. (They recommend trying your luck on 16 The Best of Monterey Bay ® EAT + DRINK 2024-2025 Sweet Treat Almond croissants are universally popular at local bakeries, thanks to their status as the perfect pastry. By Sara Rubin Café Carmel Sweet Elena’s Bakery Emma’s Bakery almond-croissants.indd 1 4/16/24 4:41 PM
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