Upgrade Store-Bought Croissants With A Sheet Pan And Some Chocolate

Among the best French pastries you need to try, croissants are one European staple that has won the hearts and mouths of many Americans. First debuting on the culinary scene in Austria as a kipferl, this eventual bready delight gained insurmountable popularity when puffed pastry became the most essential element of French croissants. Once these flaky delicacies were introduced to Americans in the early 1980s by way of premade frozen dough, the rest is history.

As it turns out, you don't have to consider yourself an amazing at-home pastry chef to enjoy a delicious, evenly layered croissant. In many respects, packaged croissants have become standard fare in grocery store bakeries. If you've been buying these buttery crescent-shaped goods, you might be looking for a fun and convenient way to upgrade your daily dose.

Sure enough, with a sizable handful of your favorite chocolate chips, you're only one step away from transforming these versatile baked goods into a decadent and rich breakfast pastry. Instead of spending hours in your kitchen laminating buttery dough and wrapping it around bars of chocolate to recreate traditional pain au chocolat, you can make a similar version at home in only a fraction of the time with just store-bought croissants, chocolate chips, and a small stint in your oven. Just slice them open, add some chocolate chips, and bake.

You might be surprised to find there are many ingredients that can be stuffed inside a croissant. Next to apples and eggs, chocolate is a surefire way to add a bit of intrigue to your first meal of the day.

First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, slice through each of your croissants, leaving the outer edges slightly connected. Spread the split pastries out on your baking sheet and add a layer of chocolate chips to one-half of each croissant. Feel free to add a sprinkle of flaky salt to provide a bit of contrast to the addition of sweet chocolate. Lastly, reassemble your chocolate-laden treats and bake them in the oven for up to 5 minutes, or until the chocolate chips have melted.

While any kind of chocolate will work for this recipe, if you're trying to recreate your own pain au chocolat at home, opt for dark or semi-sweet varieties. You can stick to the chocolate chips in your pantry or if you want to go the extra mile, try chocolate baking bars. If sliced in thin, even pieces, this type of chocolate may require less time to melt. Since adding chocolate to premade croissants proves to be quite simple, what else can you add to these transformed baked goods?

Even though 'batons' are the go-to type of chocolate for pain au chocolat, chocolate chips or baking bars work just as well when recreating your own sweet breakfast confection with packaged croissants. There are plenty of additional ways to dress up these decadent baked goods. For starters, if you're using dark chocolate but want your finished croissants to have a sweeter flavor, consider brushing the tops with maple syrup and sugar before placing them in the oven. Alternatively, you can add a thin layer of butter and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and sugar.

If you don't necessarily want to add straight sugar, the easiest way to add more sophisticated flair to your chocolate croissants is to add a light drizzle of melted chocolate to the finished product. You can even use a combination of white and dark chocolate to make these packaged goods more visually appealing. If you're in the mood to add an ingredient that will provide a nice level of contrast to creamy chocolate, spread a small amount of butter on croissant tops followed by a handful of sliced almonds. To prevent overbaking your croissants, you may want to consider roasting the intended nuts for a short time in a pan over your stove before adding them to your flaky baked goods. 

Lucky for you, there are a number of ways to successfully upgrade your next round of store-bought croissants. For a simple, transformative enhancement, consider adding chocolate chips for a delectable sweet treat.