Almond Croissant Brownies
These brownies are unbelievably decadent squares of rich chocolate, topped with almond frangipane (the filling in almond croissants) and sprinkled with sliced almonds and powdered sugar. They look and taste like they came straight from a professional bakery, and yet they’re really very easy to make. The brownie recipe is adapted from Alice Medrich’s! They keep well at room temperature for 5-7 days. I usually make these in an 8x8 pan and slice these into nine large pieces, but you could easily slice them into sixteen (four rows in each direction) for a more bite-sized treat!
Ingredients
Almond Frangipane
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup almond flour
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 teaspoons almond extract
Brownies
15 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Other
3/4 cup raw sliced almonds
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Directions
Begin by making your frangipane. In a small mixing bowl, beat together the six tablespoons of soft butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add both flours, the egg, and almond extract and mix until just combined. Spoon the frangipane into a piping bag and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 325F. Grease an 8x8 glass or ceramic baking dish, line it with parchment, leaving an overhang, and set aside.
Next, make the brownie batter. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.
Add in the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly between each addition.
Once the eggs are completely incorporated, add the flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for 1-2 minutes. No streaks of flour should be visible.
Spoon the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish and use a spoon or spatula to smooth it out as evenly as possible. The batter will be extremely thick and sticky.
Once the batter is spread, pipe the frangipane over the entire surface of the batter. There should be few to no gaps, use a spatula if necessary to ensure it covers the batter completely.
Sprinkle the sliced almonds generously over the frangipane.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the almonds are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with only a little bit of brownie on it.
Let the brownies cool before using the parchment overhang to lift them out of the baking dish. Sprinkle them liberally with powdered sugar and slice into the desired number of pieces, then serve!
