Fig, Prosciutto and Brie Croissant Cookies

Aimee’s signature bake of Fig, Prosciutto and Brie Croissant Cookies helped earn her the title of Star Baker during Cookie Week in Season 5 of The Great Canadian Baking Show.

Fig, Prosciutto and Brie Croissant Cookies

By Aimee DeCruyenaere

ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 cup (227 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed, divided
• 2½ cups (355 g) all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup (66 g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp salt
• ⅓ to ⅔ cup whole milk
• Brown gel food coloring
• White sprinkles, optional

Fig-Spread:

• 2 cups (298 g) chopped dried figs
• ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3 to 4 tbsp lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish:

• 24 basil leaves
• 200 g thinly sliced ​​prosciutto, cut into 24 pieces
• 300 g double cream brie, cut into 24 slices

Preparation

Cookies:

Melt half of the butter in a light-colored or stainless steel saucepan over medium heat (a lighter-colored pan will let you see when the butter has browned so it’s less likely to burn). Bring the butter to a simmer and continue to cook while it foams. Once the foaming subsides, continue to cook, swirling the pan regularly until it’s golden brown. Quickly add the rest of the cold butter, and stir to melt. Set aside to cool and re-solidify (you can speed this along by placing the butter in the fridge — just be sure to stir it often and remove when still soft).

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the brown butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until crumbly. Drizzle in half of the milk and bring the dough together with a few gentle stirs. Continue stirring until the dough is smooth and pliable, adding more milk if needed.

Gather the dough into a ball and weigh out 675 grams (if you used the full amount of milk, your dough will weigh a bit more. Feel free to form the excess into 1-tablespoon-sized balls, then flatten and bake them at 350 F until lightly golden on the edges, about 10 minutes). Divide the dough into three portions: one 450 grams in weight, one 160 grams and one 65 grams.

Add one or two dollops of food colouring, about the size of a pea, to the 160-gram ball of dough and mix to tint to a medium brown (this dough will be used to give the cookies a slightly darker hue along their base) . Add two or three dollops of coloring to the 65-gram ball of dough and mix to tint to a dark brown (this will be used to create the lines on the cookies). Leave the 450-gram ball uncoloured.

Roll the uncolored dough into the following logs, each 7 to 8 inches long:

• One 170-gram log

• Two 83-gram logs

• Two 57-gram logs

Roll the medium brown dough into the following logs, each 7 to 8 inches long:

• One 50-gram log

• Two 31-gram logs

• Two 24-gram logs

Place the dark brown dough in between two sheets of parchment paper and roll into a rectangle that measures just over 8 by 3½ inches and is a scant ⅛–inch thick. Using a ruler, cut the rectangle into two strips measuring around 8 by 1 inches. Cut an additional two strips of dough measuring 8 by ¾ inches. Discard the excess dark brown dough.

To assemble, slightly flatten the medium brown dough logs, then lightly brush with water.

Take the 170-gram uncolored log and lay it on top of a 50-gram medium brown log. Pinch along the entire length of the logs to adhere (this will be the central section of the croissant).

Take the 83-gram uncolored logs, place them on top of the 31-gram medium brown logs, and pinch to adhere (these will be the medium-sized sections of the croissant).

Take the 57-gram uncolored logs, place them on top of the 24-gram medium brown logs, and pinch to adhere (these will be the smallest, outermost sections of the croissant).

Brush the central section of the croissant lightly with water. Lay one 8-by-1-inch dark brown dough strip on either side of the central section, press lightly to adhere and brush with water. Adhere the medium-sized sections of the croissant dough to either side, with the medium brown portions aligned, and brush with water.

Take the 8-by-¾-inch strips of dark brown dough, adhere to the medium-sized sections and brush with water.

Finally, attach the outermost sections of the croissant, ensuring the medium brown dough is aligned.

Wrap the assembled dough lightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.

Trim the ends of the dough and slice into 24 cookies that are roughly ⅛-inch thick. (Feel free to wrap up any dough left over and refrigerate for future use.)

Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Shape gently into subtle crescent shapes, to resemble croissants, and add white sprinkles as highlights, if using.

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Set aside to cool.

Fig-Spread:

Add all the ingredients to a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened.

Transfer the spread to the bowl of a small food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.

Assembly:

Spread the fig spread on half of the cookies. Add a couple leaves of basil, two slices of prosciutto and two slices of brie, and top with another cookie.

Makes 12 cookie sandwiches