How to make a crookie – TikTok’s latest baking craze
In the unexpected crossover food event of the season, cookies and croissants have been mashed together to create, yes, you guessed it – the ‘crookie’.
This latest recipe craze to clog up food lovers’ news feeds stems from an invention by Maison Lovard bakery in Paris – and the buttery, chocolatey innovation has been swiftly adopted by social media users on both sides of the Channel (not to mention across the pond). Unable to get their hands on the real deal, pastry fans have been sharing their decadent homemade creations on TikTok and notching up millions of views.
To make a crookie, croissants are filled and topped with raw chocolate-chip cookie dough then baked until crunchy on the outside, remaining soft in the centre. They’ve been a hit with home bakers: Waitrose has reported online searches for ‘cookie dough’ are up 70 per cent compared to the same time last month, while those for ‘mini croissants’ are up a stonking 350 per cent. Customers are browsing more frequently than ever for chocolate chips and readymade cookie mix in their fervour to recreate this fusion food.
How to make a crookie: things to know before you start
Having attempted a homemade crookie myself I was impressed by my findings (as were my kids). Unlike some other trending food ideas, crookies are not tricky to make and can be knocked up quickly and in small quantities. Croissants are available in a range of sizes and can be bought singly from bakery counters, while cookie dough can be found on supermarket shelves as a dry mix to make up or as fresh, ready-to-bake dough.
I chose to make my own cookie dough and while I think most buttery cookie recipes would work well here, for example peanut butter or caramel, there is something very special about the combination of chocolate and croissant (hello, pain au chocolat). The cookie dough can be made with any type of chocolate and happens to be a great way to use up leftover Easter eggs, too. I found the slightly bitter edge of dark chocolate offered the best flavour balance but others in my household preferred milk.
Once filled and topped with cookie dough, the croissant is baked in a preheated oven until the top is set and golden and the centre becomes molten. I’m sure with a slight reduction in temperature and cooking time, crookies would bake brilliantly in an air fryer, too.
While the end result is irresistibly decadent – simultaneously gooey, crunchy and chewy – by my calculations a single crookie clocks in at just over 1,000 calories and 61.6g sugar. So slice and share, make mini versions, or keep these for very special occasions only.
How to make a crookie: the recipe
This recipe includes a chocolate-chip cookie dough which is enough for four full-sized crookies or 12 mini ones. The uncooked cookie mixture can be kept in the fridge in an air-tight container for at least three days and also freezes well.
Timings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8-10 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
125g butter, softened
75g soft brown sugar
75g caster sugar or golden caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
185g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g milk or dark chocolate, cut into small chunks
4 croissants
Method
Step 1
Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5.
Step 2
Whisk the butter and sugars together until very light and fluffy.
Step 3
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract then stir in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, the chocolate chunks and ¼ tsp salt. Divide the mixture into four equal portions.
Step 4
Cut each croissant in half lengthways. Place two thirds of a portion of cookie dough on the base of one croissant, flattening it out across the surface. Place the top half of the croissant back in position.
Step 5
Shape the remaining third of the cookie dough portion to form a rough oval and press this on top of the croissant.
Step 6
Repeat with the rest of the dough portions and croissants.
Step 7
Transfer to a lined baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookie on top is set and golden and the mixture within has melted.
Step 8
Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving warm. Cut in half if you wish – listen to that crunch!
Five viral bakery crossovers
While the crookie may be the latest trending bakery hybrid, it’s definitely not the first.
Cronut/crodough
Created (and patented) by famed pastry chef Dominique Ansel in 2013, the cronut is a layered, buttery, flakey, doughnut-shaped pastry loaded with a creamy filling and topped with icing. It takes three days to make. Ansel’s New York bakery releases only one flavour each month, available by pre-order only, so you’ll need to book your flights now if you want to get your hands on one of April’s Summer Berry Jam and Crème Brûlée Ganache Cronuts.
Alternatively, try the UK’s version, the crodough, from London’s Rinkoff’s bakery or your local Asda bakery counter, priced at £1.50 for a pack of two.
Croffle
2023’s sensation, the croffle is really easy to make at home with a tube of fresh croissant dough. The dough is unrolled then pressed between waffle irons to produce a warm and crispy waffle-croissant. Stack a few and serve with yoghurt or cream and some fresh berries for a fashionable brunch or dessert.
Duffin
A jam-filled muffin that’s rolled in caster sugar as soon as it comes out of the oven. All the joy of a doughnut but ready in a fraction of the time and without the hassle of getting the deep-fat fryer out. A great bake for making with kids and a guaranteed winner at charity cake sales.
Cruffin
A cinnamon bun made with croissant dough, the cruffin is a labour-intensive bake if making from scratch. Speedier versions can be put together using ready made puff pastry or croissant dough spread with butter then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar before being rolled up into spiral buns and baked in muffin tins.
Crownie
A brownie with torn up croissants folded through the mixture. Said to offer a uniquely satisfying texture featuring fudgy dense chocolate surrounding light and airy flakes of pastry.
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