The Conversation
Mornings can be hard sometimes (especially Monday mornings) and a solid routine is the only way to get through them. But the downside of routines is that sometimes they can be… kind of a snore. When you’re bleary-eyed and you just want to head back to bed, that’s no way to stay fresh and awake. One way to strike a balance is to find a little something to add to help you reenergize your morning while still keeping it quick and effortless. Maybe that thing is a delicious new take on a classic breakfast item, like the croissant. We’ve gathered a few eclectic ideas that will add a little pizzazz to your morning routine.
1. Almond Croissant Twists: A fresh take on the classic almond croissant. They almost beg to be dunked in a cup of coffee or used to scoop the foam off the top of a cappuccino. (via Kitchen Sanctuary)
2. Croissant Sandwich Casserole: It’s not just a croissant update, but a whole new take on the croissant sandwich. Throw a couple sandwiches in a pan, whip up a few ingredients, cook and enjoy. Easy as… croissant casserole! (via Fuss Free Cooking)
3. Sour Mandarin Compote Croissants: This recipe thoroughly blows the traditional croissant and jam combo out of the water by walking you through assembling an amazing compote that could possibly replace jam in your life forever. (via The Moonblush Baker)
4. Berry Croissant Cheesecake: Yes, you read that right: croissant cheesecake. Is it breakfast? Is it dessert? Both, definitely both. (via The Kitchen Whisperer)
5. Sausage Croissant Stuffing: This recipe takes classic sausage stuffing and replaces the bread crumbs with croissant pieces. Are you immediately re-imagining every stuffing recipe you know like we are? (via Host the Toast)
6. Double Apple Croissant Waffles: It’s apple picking season, ladies, and this is one way to put all those tasty fruits to good — make that incredible — use. (via Hearts in My Oven)
7. Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding: Serve this at an upcoming brunch for a definite win — everyone loves bread pudding, but this recipe takes it to a yummier level, perfect for your more adventurous-eater guests while remaining familiar enough for the traditionalists. (via The Food Network)
8. Layered Chocolate Croissant: A San Francisco bakery put this genius spin on chocolate croissants. Talk about respecting the ingredients — layers and layers of delicious chocolate? Delicious in every bite! (via Pottery Barn)
9. Croissant Cake: This croissant cake can be made with croissants of any flavor or filling — keep switching it up and you’ll never have the same dish twice. (via Cook 13)
10. Croissant French Toast Muffin: Three breakfast champions in one. Plus, anything with syrup? Yes. Please. (via Deliciously Yum)
11. Savory Croissant Sandwiches: A bakery in Singapore came up with these game-changing plays on savory croissants, including the hot dog-esque Flying Pig. Did someone say vacay? (via Honeycombers Singapore)
12. Croissant French Toast: This breakfast duo sounds just as good as it looks. Add some fresh fruit + powdered sugar on top for a little extra something. (via Serious Eats)
13. Crolato: Paris and Italy come together in these mini-croissants stuffed with luscious gelato. It’s almost too perfect. Almost. (via Metro)
14. Croissant Loaf: Can’t get enough croissant? Make an entire loaf! Even in loaf form, the flaky goodness of croissants prevails. (via Not Without Salt)
15. Cronut Burger: Everyone has heard of the cronut, but a cronut burger? No way! We have our Canadian friends to the north to thank for this insanely interesting treat. (via The Atlantic)
16. The Cruffin: They’ve been eying each other for a while and finally got together. Croissant and muffin, may you have a long, happy and banana creme-filled life together. (via Facebook / Mr. Holmes Bakehouse)
17. Kit Kat Croissant: A Japanese bakery choreographed one of the best mic drops in history: the Kit Kat Croissant. The flakiness of the Kit Kat wafer is such a great compliment to the layered dough of croissants. Take that, old pain au chocolats! (via PopSugar)
Which play on the croissant is tingling your taste buds? Let us know in the comments below.
Cinnamon hails from the prairie lands of North Dakota, has been told that she thinks too much, and loves using oxford commas. She's a writer and editor whose work has been featured in FastCo.Exist, GOOD.is, and more. Cinnamon currently lives in Nicaragua with her dog, Gus.
More From Food
You can wear many hats running a business and sometimes some look better than others. Thanks to Office Depot, we're talking with Koyun Fan, co-founder of Sticky Rice Sisters, about finding inspiration along the way and staying organized on the road to success.
<p><strong>B+C: What set you on this entrepreneurial path of Sticky Rice Sisters?</strong><br></p><p>One day I was looking for stickers and cards to use to write to kids for a program I volunteer for when I came across Etsy shops selling products I was familiar with, growing up in Taiwan. I always had easy access to cute stickers and stationery, so I thought I should just bring them to the U.S. myself and also share Taiwanese culture with others. I also thought that if others can do it, I can do it too. I had been a marketing professional for many years before starting the store. I was still working full-time when I first started, and thought this could be something fun to work on outside of work. Also, I thought that with my marketing experience, running and promoting a store shouldn't be too hard. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! </p><p><div id="teads-ad"></div>
<div data-ad-class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://www.brit.co/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTkyNDYwNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjI3MTc4MH0.sjcbrxXyGd5ym5Ihg8IlzRGR0Hz7-y1rd-Lq4UId22E/image.jpg?width=980" id="b7032" width="2880" height="2880" data-rm-shortcode-id="9b60a4a93eef37021b1cdbb6b713d239" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p><br></p><p><span></span><strong>B</strong><strong> + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from <a href="https://tryselfmade.com/" target="_blank">Selfmade</a>?</strong></p><p> I've thought about taking a business course or pursuing an MBA previously, but the cost and commitment made it difficult to. When I saw the 10-week-course on Brit's Instagram, I knew it was right for me. Since everything would be online and recorded with unlimited future access, I knew I would have enough time to consume all the information and refer back to it whenever I wanted.</p><p>I had a great experience with all the coaches. They were amazing and super helpful. I learned so much about the different aspects of business, from ideation, to creating new products, operations, legal, finance, marketing and more! I love how the course started with helping us establish the right mindset. The coaches taught us to not limit ourselves. My coach, Naomi Powell, was always challenging us on our beliefs about ourselves and she would tell us to set higher and bigger goals. It is definitely something I always think about now and I have her voice in my head.<br></p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p>All of my classmates were AMAZING. Everyone was so talented and so willing to share. It was truly a community of women who were cheering each other on and rooting for each other. </p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://www.brit.co/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTkyNDYzNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzQwOTE1N30.sIFn9o6VfXEELAWyVJNcDVS11jYC2DEnauC_PTis5Fc/image.jpg?width=980" id="96042" width="2958" height="2958" data-rm-shortcode-id="1e928bb173c36063b73f8b17a6b4a638" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p><br></p><p><strong>B + C: What's the biggest challenge you face as a small business owner?</strong></p><p>Not knowing if I am doing things "correctly" has definitely been an obstacle. I have tackled this by sending out surveys to our customers and followers asking for their feedback. This is also something Brit would always talk about--we should just ask others what they think instead of guessing. People are pretty good at giving honest and helpful feedback and it really helps with thinking about future plans.</p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p><strong>B + C: Who are your role models in the entrepreneurial space?</strong></p><p>Not to sound super cheesy, but I would say it's Brit. She is such a great example of Selfmade. She started the company by herself and continues to innovate and inspire. She always radiates positive energy and in the Selfmade course she made herself available to everyone. She didn't just share what she knows, but also brought in her network to help us. My favorite thing she said is that we are all creative--creativity exists in many different forms!</p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://www.brit.co/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTkyNDY0NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MTMzMjAxM30.Av0nUafnHiIDKY1q-Wrj0jxsjbsgm90kdl36NqjygnI/image.jpg?width=980" id="e375b" width="3755" height="2624" data-rm-shortcode-id="f65b9eeb6a72169a363d32a7d17e4be6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p><br></p><p><strong>B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?</strong></p><p><strong></strong>You will never be 100 percent ready so just start now and learn and improve as you go. You will make mistakes, things won't go as planned, you might not have customers to start, but you will learn. If you keep waiting for the "right moment," or wait until "you're ready," you have already lost time that you could've used to learn on the job or make mistakes. In the beginning, not a lot of people will know you, so it doesn't matter what you do--you can try anything you want and figure out what works and doesn't. As you start to have more customers and followers, you will start to get better and they will help you, encourage you, and support you. </p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p><strong>B + C: What's one female-owned business that you absolutely love and support?</strong></p><p><span></span>There are so many I love and support. To name a few fellow stationery stores: A Jar of Pickles, Occasionallish, AnnSunn, and fellow Selfmade businesses Evening Star Baby, Summer Space Studio, and The Ponnery! They are all amazing women running their own businesses.</p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://www.brit.co/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTkyNDY1My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDQwNjk4NH0.P5rDaBmqTd2oQK5zqdfgQyjMyoKLe8wncI8t3aBCOtI/image.jpg?width=980" id="c596a" width="3024" height="3024" data-rm-shortcode-id="98e07cdbcec19373ddb6df6a9ac96ae0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p><br></p><p><span></span><strong>B + C: How do you stay motivated?</strong></p><p>I look at stores I want to become. I try not to think of them as competition but as inspirations, so when I see them working hard on their businesses it motivates me to do so as well. I also listen to motivational audio books or podcasts where they interview other business owners like <a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this" target="_blank">How I Built This</a> and <a href="https://www.theskimm.com/skimmd-from-the-couch" target="_blank">Skimm'd from the Couch</a>.</p><p><strong>B + C: How do you stay organized? What tools or apps help you stay productive?</strong></p><p>I think I'm a very organized person. I use Dropbox for photos and Google Docs for everything else. My tip would be to always name your files and have a system for it so it's easy to search and find easily when you need them.</p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p><em>We're inspired! Thanks Koyun for sharing your story and your organizing tips! You can find Sticky Rice Sisters at <a href="http://sticyricesisters.com/" target="_blank">SticyRiceSisters.com</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stickyricesisters/" target="_blank">@StickyRiceSisters</a>, or email at koyun@stickyricesisters.com.</em></p><p><strong><em>Office Depot OfficeMax has the solutions to help you <a href="https://www.officedepot.com/cm/marketing/save-time-and-organize?cm_mmc=bl-_-aq-_-url-_-bc&cm_mmca1=earned&cm_mmca2=uf&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc_sm_url_earned_engt_aq&utm_content=org_na&utm_term=eff" target="_blank">organize & save time</a> & create the <a href="https://www.officedepot.com/cm/multi-category/work-from-home?cm_mmc=bl-_-aq-_-url-_-bc&cm_mmca1=earned&cm_mmca2=uf&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc_sm_url_earned_engt_aq&utm_content=wfa_na&utm_term=pro" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">perfect workspace</a> to help craft your story. From <a href="https://www.officedepot.com/a/browse/tul/N=5+971469?cm_mmc=bl-_-aq-_-url-_-bc&cm_mmca1=earned&cm_mmca2=uf&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc_sm_url_earned_engt_aq&utm_content=org_na&utm_term=eff" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">journals</a> to , Office Depot OfficeMax is your go-to for all business solutions.</em></strong> <em><em><strong></strong></em></em></p><p><em><em><strong><em><em>Head to </em><em><a href="https://www.officedepot.com/cm/marketing/selfmade-promo?cm_mmc=bl-_-aq-_-url-_-bc&cm_mmca1=earned&cm_mmca2=lf&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc_sm_url_earned_prch_aq&utm_content=tea_na&utm_term=tea" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Office Depot's Selfmade page</a></em><em> to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last.</em></em></strong></em></em></p>
Keep Reading
Show less