Croissants vs. Cornetti

Did you know that not all croissants are made the same? Well, when I went to Paris, I noticed that the croissants in Paris tasted a little different compared to the cornetti in Italy. There wasn't a huge difference in the appearance, but the French croissants tasted flakier, more buttery, and softer in texture than the Italian cornetti. Even though they don't look very different, the taste is distinguishable between them. It's truly all in the recipe and the ingredients used, so look for yourself.

French Croissant

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp flour
3 sticks butter (3/4 pound) of butter or margarine, equally divided and softened at room temperature
4 cups all-purpose flour, approximately
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water

1-1/2 cups milk, warmed to 80°F to 90°F (27°C to 32°C)
1/2 cup half-and-half, warmed
1 egg
1 Tbsp water 

Italian Cornetto

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (can use whole wheat flour  for a whole wheat version)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp honey

4 tblsps sunflower seed oil

1 cake yeast or 1 packet powdered yeast

1 cup tepid milk

3 eggs

pinch of salt

1 tsp real vanilla

Brush on topping:

2 egg yolks

2 tsps sugar

pinch of milk

As you can probably see from the difference in ingredients, the French use butter, which helps to give the croissants their flakier and more buttery taste and texture whereas the Italians use sunflower seed oil or probably olive oil when they make their cornetti. This is probably the biggest difference between the two, however, another difference is the French use half and half and Italians do not. Even though the two pastries have their differences, both result in an awesomely delicious end product that goes well with my morning coffee or cappuccino. :)