Coconut bun croissants

Marihah

whnhangrstrikes

Coconut Bun Croissants

Serves

3

Cook

18 mins

Prep

20 mins

Difficulty

easy

I was lucky enough to grow up in a very diverse suburb, and one thing we had at every family party was Chinese coconut buns. If you've never had one, it's a soft Chinese milk bun stuffed with a coconut custardy filling. We would heat them up slightly and have them with tea and coffee for dessert. This recipe is inspired by the Chinese coconut bun - but to make it a little easier, we're stuffing it into a croissant! The butter in the filling melts into coconutty bliss, and you’re left with the same buttery, sticky filling that a Chinese coconut bun has, all without having to make a dough from scratch. Also like a coconut bun, it’s not overly sweet which almost makes it more dangerous since it’s easy to absentmindedly eat 2 or 3. This is the perfect Lunar New Year breakfast or dessert- if you’re having friends and family over, you can easily use mini croissants and add this dish to your dessert platter.

breakfastlunchsnackschinese

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbs unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

a pinch of salt

1 tbs unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 egg yolk

1 whole egg

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

croissants

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 f, and then make the the simple syrup glaze. in a small pot, combine the water, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tbs unsweetened shredded coconut. bring to a simmer over low heat to melt the sugar. once the sugar has melted (6-10 minutes), remove from heat and let cool.

Step 2

In a mixing bowl, beat together 1/2 cup of the shredded coconut, the softened butter and 1/3 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. add the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. beat in the vanilla extract and salt, and then stir in the remaining 1/2 cup shredded coconut by hand.

Step 3

Slice the croissants in half lengthwise. using a pastry brush, generously glaze the top, insides, and bottoms of the croissants with the simple syrup. divide the filling into 6 equal portions, and spread on the inside of one side of each croissant. cover to close and place on a parchment or foil lined baking tray.

Step 4

Brush the tops of the croissants one final time with the simple syrup, then sprinkle with some shredded coconut or coconut smiles if using. bake for 15-18 minutes until the filling is set. let cool and serve.