Easy Mother’s Day Breakfast: Chocolate Butterscotch Croissants

You know what are not nice?

Geese.

When I was probably 14 or so, I didn’t know they were so territorial. There was a flock of them…a gaggle? Anyway, a lot of them on the hillside by the pool at the church camp I attended.

I was all, “Heh heh. Watch this.”

I ran at them, flapping my arms wildly and sort of screeching at them, “Puh-CAW! Puh-CAW!!”

Big mistake. Big. Huge.

They did NOT fly away as a group like I expected. Like you see pigeons do in the movies when some precocious child goes running through a flock.

No.

They all turned their heads toward me in unison, their beady little reptilian eyes fixing upon me with a glint. Then, the biggest one, right up front, spread its wings and ran at me, honking and snapping its beak.

It was huge. At least as big as me.

I’m pretty sure it was a momma.

Many more soon followed. They chased me all the way up the hill until I desperately clawed my way inside the pool house.

The point of this story? Don’t mess with a momma.

If you do, you better have these chocolate butterscotch croissants on hand to smooth things over. That’s all I’m saying.

These are stupid easy. Like, so stupid easy. You could totally use homemade pastry dough (more power to you!!!), but I’m perfectly content snagging Pepperidge Farms frozen pastry sheets at the grocery. They’re delicious, and they work like a charm.

Let the sheets thaw for about 30 minutes, or until you can unfold them without tearing them. Once thawed, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut a straight line down each seam (the sheets come folded in thirds, so there’s two seams). Next, crosscut the sheet through the center, creating six individual pieces of pastry.

Now, you could roll the pastry out a bit, if desired, and make more croissants per sheet, but I like keeping it simple and cutting just six.

Transfer the pastry to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a Silpat Mat. Place one teaspoon of chocolate chips in each pastry. I prefer semi-sweet; the darker flavor is a delicious contrast to the sweet butterscotch. Next, place two teaspoons of butterscotch chips on each pastry. I did a little measuring, and a teaspoon of chips (chocolate or butterscotch) is equivalent to 12 chips, so 12 chocolate and 24 butterscotch chips per pastry.

Once the pastries are filled, fold one side up over the chips, brush it with water or egg wash, and fold the other side up over it to seal the croissants.

Easy.

I also made a little glaze for mine, which was pretty amazing, and…

…then I dusted them with confectioners’ sugar, because I could. You could skip the glaze and sugar…you know, if you wanna miss out.

These are the perfect Mother’s Day breakfast. You can whip them up in less than an hour, and you can easily prepare them the night before, and bake them first thing in the morning. In fact, that’s how I usually make them.

Plus, they’re easily modified to suit anyone’s tastes…don’t like butterscotch? Try adding peanut butter chips. Or you can use cinnamon chips. Or just go for the traditional chocolate croissant.

No matter how you make them, they’re wonderful, easy, and sure to please! Enjoy!

Semi-homemade Chocolate Butterscotch Croissants
Makes 12 croissants

**To make these in advance, prepare the croissants until they are filled, cover them and chill overnight, or until you’re ready to bake.

Ingredients

FOR THE CROISSANTS
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets (2 sheets), thawed
1/2 cup butterscotch chips (or another flavor of chips, to your taste)
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

FOR THE GLAZE (Optional)
1/4 butterscotch chips (or another flavor of chips, to your taste)
2 teaspoons heavy cream or milk

To make the croissants: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat Mats; set aside.

Lightly dust your work area with flour, place the pastry sheet on it, and u a knife or pizza cutter to cut a straight line down each seam (the sheets come folded in thirds, so there’s two seams). Next, crosscut the sheet through the center, creating six individual pieces of pastry.

Transfer the pastry to a baking sheet (6 pastries per sheet). Place one teaspoon of chocolate chips in each pastry. Next, place two teaspoons of butterscotch chips on each pastry. Once the pastries are filled, fold one side up over the chips, brush it with water or egg wash, and fold the other side up over it to seal the croissants.

Cover the sheets with plastic wrap, and chill for 20 minutes. Turn on the oven to 425 degrees and allow it to preheat while the pastries chill.

Once chilled, bake each sheet of pastries for 20 to 22 minutes, until they are puffed up and golden brown.

Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before glazing or serving.

To make the glaze: Warm the cream in the microwave until lightly boiling, and pour it over the butterscotch chips. Stir lightly for about 10 seconds. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then whisk until the chips are completely melted. Drizzle over the croissants. Dust with confectioners’ sugar (optional), and serve warm.

Recipe by Darla