Croissants: French pastry an American favorite

Easy croissants

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup evaporated milk

3 tablespoons butter,

at room temperature

1 egg at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons sugar

3 cups bread flour

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

There are a number of ways to prepare croissants, whether it be in a bread machine or a food processor.

These are the easiest ways to make croissants at home:

Bread machine method

Have liquid ingredients at 80 degrees and all others at room temperature.

Place ingredients in pan in the order specified in the owner's manual. Select dough/manual cycle.

Do not use the delay timer on the bread machine when making croissants.

At the end of the last kneading cycle, press stop, remove dough and proceed with rising, shaping, and baking instructions.

Check dough consistency after five minutes of kneading, making adjustments if necessary.

Mixer method

Combine yeast, 1 cup flour and other dry ingredients.

Combine water and milk; heat to 120 to 130 degrees.

With a hand-held mixer, combine dry mixture, liquid ingredients and butter in mixing bowl on low speed. Beat 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. Add egg; beat 1 minute.

By hand, stir in enough remaining flour to make a firm dough. Knead on floured surface 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

Use additional flour if necessary.

Food processor method

Put dry mixture in processing bowl with steel blade. While motor is running, add egg, butter, and liquid ingredients. Process until mixed.

Continue processing, adding remaining flour until dough forms a ball.

Rising, Shaping, and Baking

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Place dough on floured surface and knead about 6 times to release air bubbles. Divide into three parts. Roll each part into a 14-inch circle.

With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pie-shaped wedges. Starting with wide edge, roll each wedge toward the point.

Place on ungreased cookie sheets, point side down, and curve into crescent shape.

Cover the crescents; let rise until indentation remains after touching.

Combine 1 slightly beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush croissants with egg mixture.

Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from cookie sheets and cool.

Chocolate variation

To make chocolate croissants you will need to make the dough into two rectangles each 18-by-6-by-1/8 inch thick. Cut each rectangle in half and roll it out to form four strips. Cut each of those in fours measuring 4 inches by 3 inches.

Using a fine semisweet chocolate bar, break it into six pieces and place one piece of chocolate onto each croissant and roll it up into a rectangle.

Moisten and bake as for regular croissants.

Orange croissants

6 croissants

9-ounce jar orange marmalade

3 ounces orange juice

5 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon almond extract

Strawberries

Mandarin-orange section

Cut croissants in half lengthwise and place bottom in buttered 12-inch-by-9-inch ovenproof dish.

Thin marmalade with orange juice and spoon over each bottom half, saving a little to be used as glaze. Replace croissant tops.

Beat eggs, cream and almond extract. Pour over top of the croissants. Spoon some thinned marmalade over top. Soak overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 45 minutes before baking.

Bake in a preheated oven 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Serve hot and garnish with strawberries and mandarin-orange sections.