So how do you eat your croissants ? I’ve tried breaking it into three parts but it causes too much crumbling and I loose a lot of lovely flakes. I’ve tried slicing with a knife but its like cutting a Cadbury’s flake - it all crumbles or gets squashed as you clutch the damn thing. I’ve tried not cutting/breaking it up and honey/marmalade/jam/butter just slides off - usually into my dog’s ever-ready slavering open mouth.So how do the French eat their’s ? - never been to breakfast with our French pals.
How do you think they should be eaten ?
PS Have you tried Bonne Maman Rhubarb jam on them ? - lovely ! but messy !!
Hi Nick. When you bite it, just inhale slightly through your mouth. It's the Hoover principle applied on a small French scale. When dunkin' the dreaded croissant into a liquid, make sure you bite just before the level where the croissant has been dipped, otherwise the dipping won't have any positive effect............
One mouthful...no mess!
But it is the way they do it!
Everyone who observes me eat one thinks I'm strange, but I like to peel each yummy layer and eat that before starting on the next one. Messy, yes, but I rarely have croissants. I do the same with pain au chocolate which I must admit I prefer, saving each strip of chocolate until the end. My French husband and his family dunk theirs, croissants and pain au chocolate, in coffee.
I like mine Parisienne style dipped into cafe au lait. Mmmm....
Warmed through with jam dunked in coffee. Any stake ones make a wonderful bread n butter pudding or failing that cause a near riot with hens, goats and sheep all loving them. Can’t leave any out as the cat will break open packets to eat them and will sneak up, jump on the table for a smash n grab mugging / theft.
I prefer pain au chocolats, but when I do, I pick them up, one hand,or two, and bite directly from it, it's how my in-laws do it, my other half does it, and the guys in work do. (except for the oddballs who dip in coffee).
Personally, I have adopted the wonderful French habit of dunking them in my coffee - forget the jam/butter/honey. Much more civilised way of eating them but maybe not in posh hotels outside of France!!
My mother in law eats them whole and sideways.
I warm mine and then cut in half lengthways with scissors leaving a top and bottom with minimal mess, spread with enough butter which half melts into the heated croissant and then top with strawberry jam before biting into the scrumptious loveliness - mmm - wonderful. I don't have dogs, and never would have them as I have an allergy to dog saliva, but if I did, they wouldn't get a look in!
IMHO the only things which should be dunked are ginger biscuits in a hot milky drink and it's essential to remove from liquid at exactly the right moment so nothing falls into the mug.
We live next door to the boulangerie- and I get their son back from school with my daughter! Yesterday they were both singing in the back of the open topped car under the Breton sky. She sometimes gets a special treat of a hunk of baguette from the boulanger's wife. My daughter is only three but should I be encouraging this liaison? Sounds a bit like a junior version of "Chocolat"
Dunked in tea and I like to tear off pieces and spread a little bit of butter on! YUM YUM!!
PS - Nutella or jam is great as well, and I even like them plain, especially the "fluffy" middle section!! (Each to their own!!!!) xxxxxxx
pull off then ends then eat the middle & be prepared to sweep the floor afterwards!
I go for eating it without cutting and only putting jam on the bite that I will be immediately taking.
Ts ts - pains au chololat solve all croissant problems for me! Or a squelchy in the middle crusty on the outside pain au raisin.
We also tend to only have croissants when we have guests from UK - having said that We have visitors this weekend so I guess that I shall be on the early morning croissant run!
Tend not to have them except on special occasions when guests arrive from the UK! Dunking in a bol is the Breton way. Meanwhile I usually have toasted STALE pain complet with ideally British maramalade if I have any. Failing that Marmite or occasionally French confiture which usually dissolves into jelly after 1/2 pot. My wife loves pain raisin, whilst my daughter is hooked on crepes. Often they have rice for breakfast (my wife is Asian after all).
Ugh, sludge at the bottom of the cup!
From what I have observed most French folk dunk croissants in their coffee, that would seem to obviate the flaky mess bit. That in itself would seem to beggar the question as to why have them crisp and flaky in the first place if they are to be transformed into a coffee flavoured sogginess!