This is what French school kids get for a snack? Why is it that Americans, eating PB&J on white bread, are obese, and French kids, with sugary Nutella on buttery croissants, are slender as reeds and cute, too? It's a mystery--the same reason, apparently, that French women don't get fat.
At least this recipe isn't complicated. In fact, it's barely a recipe, requiring only bread (I used croissants because I couldn't find a good loaf of brioche yesterday, and I was way too lazy to bake it), Nutella (which is actually Italian, by the way, not French), orange marmalade, and a sprinkling of hazelnuts.
You wouldn't have to use orange marmalade, although the contrast with the sweet chocolate is nice, and the chopped hazelnuts are probably not strictly required, although the crunch does add a certain je ne sais quoi. And the baguettes are not even in the recipe, but I thought they were perfect. Parfait, I mean.
But watch that broiler. Another 20 seconds, and they would have been unpleasantly and unphotogenically charred.
I know that people are nuts (sorry) about Nutella. Somewhat to my surprise, I realized that this was the first time I had tasted it. It was sweeter, more chocolatey, and less nutty than I thought it would be. I think you can talk yourself into believing that peanut butter is a health food, but you would have to stretch your powers of disbelief to consider Nutella healthy. Still, 50 million Frenchmen can't be wrong.
I love the way your toasted croissant cross-sections look. It's the silliest thing, but I never would have thought to slice a croissant that way. I agree--nutella is not a healthy snack. I've noticed that the commercials for it always say that it's a way to get your kids to eat healthy foods, like whole wheat bread. Not that it, itself, is healthy. It sure is delicious, though.
ReplyDeleteCroissant sounds like a perfect brioche substitute. I too was far too lazy to bake brioche on my own. And nutella is Italian in origin, but as far as I can tell, the entire european continent seems to have adopted it.
ReplyDeleteGreat substitution with the croissants. I have several European friends (all of whom are skinny), and I noticed that while they don't mind dropping a pretty penny on rich, buttery, and fattening foods, they also buy just enough to fill up and not a mouthful more. They also seem to view eating the food as secondary to meal-related gatherings; they're there mainly to be social with everyone else and interact. It still irritates me that they're so skinny though! Ha!
ReplyDeleteCroissant instead of brioche is à great idea. just as buttery in taste. I love Nutella and can't imagine not having it in my pantry. It is a delicious treat this way.
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike - I used croissant too! I loved this, but then I am one of the Nutella Nuts!
ReplyDeleteIf only American kids were eating PB&Js! They're eating chicken nuggets, french fries and dripping pizza. Actually, Nutella isn't all that unheathly. It uses skim milk, and chocolate isn't bad for you in moderation. I wouldn't call it health food, but I'd rather serve nutella on bread than pink slime nuggets. Your drizzly nutella topping is pretty in that last photo. :)
ReplyDeleteI love how the croisant looks with this. I'm a no go for Nutella since I have adverse reactions to chocolate, sous chef wasn't crazy about it. Thought about doing it with PB, but, wouldn't that have just been a PB&J with nuts sprinkled on it...so I would have still had the American weight and not the advantage of Nutella!
ReplyDeleteOh... those toasted croissants look wonderful. I love your interpretation of the recipe, Mary.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful croissants - both untouched and then decorated! :) I'd totally dig in right about now!
ReplyDeleteNext time I have this I want to use croissants! Looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ei - I was mesmerized looking at the cross section of your toasted croissant. I love croissants and enjoy getting them at Costco as well...but somehow I have missed preparing them this way. Guess I learned a lot about Nutella and croissants this week. And don't even get me started on how good the salt was in the mix. Yum :)
ReplyDeleteAh - croissants with chocolate. What's not to love?
ReplyDeleteAnd a first for me to realize croissant can be toasted! Brioche is buttery and so is croissant. Makes sense. :)
ReplyDeleteCroissants would be great. Your post reminded me of a great book club night when we read French Women Don't get Fat. They do eat small amounts of foods they love.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the croissants must have been delicious. Unfortunately, I didn't really like this one. Even though it was a French version, it was too much like PB&J for me. I was never a fan, even as a kid.
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