Chocolate and Almond Cruffin
A cruffin is a delicious hybrid of a croissant and a muffin – made by baking laminated pastry in a muffin tin. The result is beautifully layered and flaky pastries. This chocolate and almond cruffin is a simple, easy version that delivers rich flavour with minimal effort. Filled with dark chocolate and ground almonds, these cruffins have a soft, slightly chewy centre and a golden, crisp exterior. They’re perfect for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea, and look impressive despite being very straightforward to make.
This recipe is easy to adapt for different dietary needs. Use plant-based puff pastry and dairy-free chocolate for a vegan version, or choose gluten-free puff pastry if required.
Serve them warm or at room temperature with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
Method
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Once melted, stir in the muscovado sugar and vanilla extract. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 6 holes of a muffin tin with butter or dairy-free spread, or use silicone muffin moulds.
- Mix the ground almonds into the cooled chocolate mixture. If the mixture feels too thick to spread, add a small amount of plant-based milk to loosen it slightly. It should be thick but spreadable.
- Unroll the pastry onto a clean surface and spread the chocolate almond mixture evenly over it. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.
- Roll the pastry tightly into a log, starting from the long edge. Cut the log into 3 equal pieces.
- Cut each piece lengthways to create 6 long strips, exposing the layered interior.
- Take each strip and gently twist or knot it, keeping the cut layers facing outward to show the layered pattern, or facing inward for a smoother, more bun-like appearance.
- Place each shaped piece into the prepared muffin tin.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
- Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the cruffins to a plate. Allow to cool slightly before serving.