Sunday Pastry

Growing up, we always had pastry on Sunday before church. Usually bear claws or apple or berry horns or the quickly grabbed Viking Size Butter Horn. Svenhard's was our choice for those that weren't home made. I had better not mention my recent trip home and how many of these I consumed (you know, for old times sake).

As children though, the rest of the week was pancakes and fruit, oatmeal or cream of wheat, juice and toast, and as a rare treat when Mom relented, a bowl of Sugar Pops, Trix, HoneyComb, Sugar Smacks or my favorite Life.

Sundays are no different now, though I either make waffles or pastry of some sort as Scandinavian bakeries are about as scarce in these parts as primers. This Sunday, a treat before I hit the road again and I hope my family on my Grandma Gullikson's side will forgive me for taking a French road this Sunday morning. Croissants Pain au Chocolat. A flaky croissant dough studded with bits and shavings of bittersweet chocolate.

Pre-baking, They don't look like they were worth all the work, but once in the oven, they puff up with dozens of layers of buttery, flaky dough, the dark chocolate just a small melted taste between bites.

Paired with a cup of coffee, suddenly hitting the road for a business trip again doesn't seem so daunting.

click to enlarge (go on, I know you want to)