OK, a nickel to the person who can guess what tool this is. Hint: it’s from a French boulangerie.
It came from a vide grenier, or “empty attic” sale, which are a standing destination on Sunday mornings around here, for us and most everyone we know. Having previously furnished my house mostly with vide grenier finds, I’m now on the lookout for linens, fun café cups, toys for the grandkids, and the like.
My friend Ali is a champion vide grenier shopper. Her specialty: sniffing out the unusual bricabrac that is uniquely French. In fact it is the French tools of all kinds that are the most interesting, from grape harvesting and wine making tools to farm implements to kitchen utensils. The latter are especially intriquing. There are serving utensils for escargot or frog legs, all sorts of molds for patés and gâteaux, and strange looking whisks. I have a nice metal mold for French madelines, for example, which I’ve pressed into service to keep my earrings sorted.
So Ali arrived chez nous with the mystery contraption, as a gift. But what could it be? Drum roll: it’s a boulanger's croissant cutter! Who knew? Certainly not me, the reluctant baker. (And when I said a weapon, in this title of this post, I meant it. This thing would be very effective at whacking someone over the head. If a bad guy ever sneaks into my kitchen, it's the first thing I'll reach for).
Ali was clearly overestimating my baking abilities. I’ve never even contemplated making a croissant. But it’s such a fascinating tool. What to do?
Ron had an inspired idea. Here one can buy wonderful ready-make pâte feuillité, which is like puff pastry in the states, but maybe a little thinner. You can use it like a pie crust or pizza crust, for a sweet or savory tart. It comes in a circle, rolled up and ready to go. “Let’s use that,” he said, “and roll it with the cutter. We’ll roll them into croissant shapes and put butter on them” (though butter is pretty redundant in this case). He even wanted to join me in this cooking adventure—a rare event.
We made them both sucré and salée: the sweet ones, with cinnamon and sugar, and the savory ones with chives and sea salt. Needless to say, they were quite easy to cut out. And a surprise: they were really delicious! I regret to say that we polished off the whole batch toute de suite, just the two of us.
Of course you can make these using just a knife, but should you come across a croissant cutter, at the lowliest vide grenier or the fanciest kitchen shop, you know what to do!
RECIPE: Ron's Pastry "Croissants", for Aperos or Dessert
Pre-heat oven to 400f (200c). Cut puff pastry or pâte feuilleté into long skinny triangles. Brush lightly with melted butter. Roll them up, starting at the wide end. Brush again, lightly, with butter. Place on a sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned (watch them closely).
For savory nibbles: right after cooking, brush again with melted butter. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and chopped chives. Of course you could add a bit of grated cheese, or chopped pistachios or…endless variations here.
For sweet nibbles: after baking, brush with melted butter and dip into a cinnamon sugar mixture. Before baking, you could add a filling if desired: sprinkle them with finely chopped nuts and/or raisins (or even chocolate?) then sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture or coarse sugar or brown sugar before rolling them up.
These are best devoured shortly after they are made, or at least the same day. Merci, Ali!
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In the COMMENTS:Anne (of the Musics and Markets blog), fun that you got to visit the home turf of your Scottish clan. Michaela recommends the annual Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, where creative freedom reins. I’ve got to read the Crystal Cave after Suzanne and Natalia’s suggestions. Judy you are too kind, and yes, has it really been that long? Barbara, happy to provoke such a fun memory. Jane, we didn’t try white pudding, but we did encounter a few of the famous midges.
Favorite READS: I don't know how I've missed Love & Death in Burgundy: A French Village Mystery , since it takes place in my area. It's a fun and funny mystery–the narrator is an American living in a small Burgundy village, who is quite the social climber, trying to be accepted by the French and scratching her way up the (very short) social ladder, while immeshed in a local murder investigation. A pretty accurate picture of the local dramas in a small village!
18 thoughts on “A French Baker’s Secret Weapon”
I knew exactly what it was. I found one at the Goodwill in Portland, Oregon years ago. (I knew what it was then, too.) 😉
Lynn, I was speaking your name last night as I made your baguette toasts with olive oil, salt and pepper, and herbs de Provence. Yum! Now I have another recipe to try thanks to you and Ali — oh, and your new resident baker!
Connie
xxoo
That is so cool! I love kitchen gadgets…we were in the Baker’s Store at King Arthur Flour in Vermont this morning, walking up and down each aisle…coveting EVERYTHING! I can’t imagine the joy of having French vide greniers at my disposal! I love cafe bowls, too! And, your croissants look delicious!
What a delightful phrase! Vide Grenier! I’m going to incorporate it into my every day conversation until it’s mine.
Someone mentions baguette toasts with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence. Which post was that? Did I miss it, or have I forgotten it? I definitely want to try that one!
Very cool. And thanks for the baking ideas!
I am just back to Atlanta from France where I put in an offer that was accepted for a village house in Montréal, 15 minutes from Carcassonne. I won’t be moving until January but can’t wait to finally live the dream of retirement in France.
These look like fun to make, and eat! I’m going to give them a try even without a croissant cutter! Thanks for the inspiration, Lynn!
Well, that’s just the best thing ever! I go to brocantes and vide greniers down here in Provence ceaselessly and tirelessly, and I will now look for one of those and invent all sorts of delicious tarted up croissants. Thanks!!
bonnie near carpentras
I’m sure you know Martin Walker’s books and there is a NEW ONE!!! Wonderful writer about the Perigord cuisine with mystery and murder thrown in. And I am going immediately to look for a croissant cutter!!!
Brush flat pastry with olive oil, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, roll up and bake. It is what we did with our breakfast focaccia at the bakery. The olive oil helps keep the cinnamon and sugar on the pasty. Better than butter, as there is so much in the pastry itself.
Thank you for this great info!!
When I first saw your boulanger’s croissant cutter, I immediately guessed what it was. I don’t have one but perhaps I’ve seen one somewhere. I’d love to have one though even though this could be done with just a knife. Thank you for the idea for the croissant’s recipe.
I do have one of those wooden tools that you have. It’s my grandmother’s mashed potato masher (the flat ended one) which in fact is sitting on my bookshelves in my office. I not only remember my grandfather digging them on in the field but I clearly remember my grandmother mashing potato’s with that with potato’s from the farm. Thank you for the sweet memory this morning.
I have recently discovered I have a gluten intolerance, so things like this are off, unfortunately.
I have a wonderful french shopping list reminder which I keep in our gite kitchen.
I picked it up at a puce for three euros.
Wow, Ali, would you ever have guessed the boomerang effect of your gifted find? That gift, given to the right person may end up inspiring millions! I’ve already put Rudy on it! Great idea for a post, Lynn. See you soon (packing my bags while I type!)
We found several watercolors hidden behind the used toys, used children’s clothes, and other sundries at a vide grenier in out-of-the-way Vieux-Boucau-les-Bains. Now they sit on my walls. The vide greniers are full of surprises.
Chris
Lynn,these recipes are inspired!And using pate feuillite gives me incentive
to get busy baking even during the warm(and warmer) Summer days.Thank you!
Using this dough,one thing I have successfully tried is to brush the various sorts of completed pastry with an egg glaze(egg yolk beaten with a couple of tablespoons of water)before baking;sprinkle with coarse salt before it is baked and for sweet,afterward with either powdered or vavilla sugar.
I am anxious to start reading Love and Death in Burgundy!
Another book I have read and enjoyed is Rhys Brown’s Tuscan Boy.Although it is set in Italy,I found it to be a page turner.Another one(recommended by Kristin Espinesse of French Word A Day ) is Ann Mah’s The Lost Vintage.Wonderful!
Lynn,please forgive me for the wrong name and title!Rhys Bowen,The Tuscan Child! This is what I get for forgetting my glasses when trying to read titles!
I only knew what it was due to our conversation Chez Nous, but I love it. And yes, your finished products look very professional! And yummy! a.
Great idea! I’m sure Rudy will find one – or something even more fancy. He can figure it out with his imagination!
We tried your Ron’s pastry “Croissants “. We liked how easy and tasty they were.
Thanks
We liked Ron’s croissants. I also enjoyed Life and Death in Burgundy. I am trying to read more books with some french language incorporated.
Thanks