Gratin de Croissant with Blueberries and Almonds

By AzWench

This dish is a little bit like a fancy bread pudding or a baked french toast. It is incredibly easy to make, and the presentation is sure to impress guests at a special breakfast or brunch.

I adapted the recipe from one I found on a Romanian web site. With the help of online translation and a little guesswork, I was able to Americanize the recipe. In addition to the language translation, I also converted the measurements to our crazy standard. (Though, truth be told, I think the world would be a happier place if we all just went ahead and used the metric system!)

The original recipe calls for the seeds from a vanilla bean pod. I used vanilla extract instead. I like to save my beans for recipes that will show off the seeds, such as ice cream and crème brûlée, but use the bean if that’s what you prefer.

Almond meal, or almond flour, is available in larger grocery stores (usually in the health food section, as opposed to the baking section) or in natural food stores. The recipe will still work without it, but does add a bit of texture and a subtle flavor that is common in many French pastries. You could even make your own by pulsing a handful of blanched almonds in your blender until it’s the texture of corn meal.

Ingredients

• 5 croissants
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons almond meal (also called almond flour)
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 4-5 tablespoons sliced almonds
• Additional blueberries, sliced almonds, and powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

Details

Adapted from navywifecook.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Butter an 8 x 11-inch or similarly sized baking dish.

Break croissants into large pieces and place in buttered baking dish.

In a bowl whisk together eggs with milk, heavy cream, sugar, almond meal, nutmeg and vanilla extract.

Pour liquid mixture into pan over croissants.

Sprinkle with blueberries and sliced almonds, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Garnish with additional blueberries, almonds and powdered sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.