Ingredients

• 4 large day-old butter croissantsday-old and all-butter; fresh ones collapse, and the laminated layers are what caramelise
• 3 large eggs
• 180 ml whole milk
• 70 ml double cream
• 25 g brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 35 g butter

Glaze

• 50 g butter
• 100 ml maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Method

1. 01

   Split the croissants

   Slice the 4 croissants in half horizontally, keeping each half in one piece. Day-old is ideal; fresh croissants are too soft to hold their shape through the dip.

   4 large day-old butter croissants

2. 02

   Mix the egg mixture

   Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in a wide shallow dish until smooth. This is what the croissants go into.

   3 large eggs · 180 ml whole milk · 70 ml double cream · 25 g brown sugar · 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon · 1 tsp vanilla · 1/4 tsp salt

3. 03

   Dip briefly, and mean it

   Dip each croissant half for no more than 5 seconds a side, cut face first. Croissant is mostly butter and air and soaks far faster than bread; saturate it and it will tear apart in the pan.

   Five seconds, no moreCroissant drinks far faster than bread. A long dip gives you a wet middle that never sets.

4. 04

   Fry cut side down first

   Melt some of the 35 g butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat and cook the halves cut side down for 2-3 minutes, until dark golden and caramelised, then turn and give the curved side 2 minutes. Medium-low, not medium. The sugars in a croissant catch quickly.

   35 g butter

   Cut side down firstThat flat face is where the caramelised crust forms. Give it the cleanest contact.

5. 05

   Bloom the cinnamon in brown butter

   In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and let it foam and brown, 3-4 minutes, until the solids are hazelnut coloured. Take it off the heat, stir in the cinnamon and wait 30 seconds, you will smell it change as the spice hits the hot fat, then stir in the maple syrup and the pinch of salt.

   50 g butter · 1/2 tsp cinnamon · 100 ml maple syrup

6. 06

   Stack and pour

   Stack the halves loosely on warm plates so the crisp edges stay exposed, and pour the warm glaze over just before serving.

   Pour the glaze straight awayIt sets firm as it cools, so make it while the croissants fry.