There’s not much the Francophile in me loves more than a good, flaky, buttery croissant. I don’t mean those freaky hybrid things (yes, I’m looking at you, cronut). I’m talking about an authentic, traditional, real, swoon-worthy, worth-eating kind of croissant, and it’s harder to find one than you may think.
An authentic croissant takes preparation, technique, and, most importantly, lots and lots of butter. Most croissants are missing one or more of those elements which makes them not “swoon-worthy, worth-eating” at all. Isn’t it frustrating when you’re craving something and when you finally get your hands on it, it doesn’t taste good? HATE. THAT.
Most recently my quest for a good croissant lead me to an incredible one on a trip to New Orleans at La Boulangerie (voted best in the city) which makes sense—New Orleans is the most French-ified city in the country. But what do I do when I’m not in NOLA? Or if I don’t feel like getting dressed to leave my house? Or when the croissant craving hits me late at night?
Happily I have discovered how to satiate my cravings anytime: by mail-ordering from the best online food shops. I’ve done my fair share of option–exploring and taste-testing, and now have my own secret stash of places I order from. Because I like you, however, in honor of National Croissant Day I’m willing to share my sources. Here’s where to get your Parisian pastry fix:
Gourmet Food World: these 100% French croissants are sourced from France, and just reading the 1st product descriptor of “100% butter” made me giddy. $36.50/dozen
Williams Sonoma: WS has their croissants made by a French pastry chef, so you can’t go wrong with that. They are cut and shaped by hand and made from butter and puff pastry. And they are absolutely beautiful looking. $39.95/15
Wolferman’s Baking: I admit that these Pain au chocolat look nothing like the way I expect and typically like for my croissants to look, so I was hesitant to even try these. Thankfully the taste didn’t disappoint. These croissant are chock full of high quality dark chocolate, and they are wrapped individually so you can treat yo’ self anytime. There is some advanced planning required with these, though: the croissants have to proof 6-8 hours before baking. They also have strawberry and blueberry options, too. $39.95/dozen
Sur La Table: The croissants from Sur La Table are actually sourced from Gaston’sBakery. The founder of Gaston’s, which is located in Idaho, is from France, and the bakery prepares goods exclusively for higher-end restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets. Lucky for us, Sur La Table has made a way for us to get access to these treats. $39.95/15
If you really want to get into the croissant spirit you can learn how to make them yourself. In addition to having pre-made croissants for ordering, Sur La Table also has croissant making classes. The classes have a variety of different croissants that are sure to meet everyone’s tastes, such as pain au chocolat; almond-filled; cinnamon sugar; and ham & cheese.
So how will you commemorate National Croissant Day? If you have one in honor of the day, upload a picture of your Parisian pastry on Instagram with the hashtags #NationalCroissantDay and #BubbleistaApproved for a chance to win some croissants of your own!
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