What's better than a hot flaky, buttery croissant fresh out of the oven for breakfast? Not much, that's for sure! We thoroughly enjoyed these delectable treats on Thanksgiving morning. We nearly didn't have anything when a trip to my local French patisserie was all out late afternoon the day before. I wanted something special to serve but didn't want to have to slave in the kitchen the night before or early that morning. I'd heard about the fabulous croissants that Trader Joe's sells in their frozen section. I'd heard that they could very well be the same exact frozen delights that Williams-Sonoma sells for a heck of a lot more. We had nothing to lose and I was, well, nothing short of desperate!

So I bought a box, and a few other items, and brought the box home. Much like the Williams-Sonoma frozen croissants, I was instructed to take them out of the box the night before and place each tiny little treat on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. I did just that. Skeptical, I left them out, overnight to rise.

In the morning they were they were exponentially larger.

I still remained skeptical.

I popped them in the oven as directed.

Now let me tell you not all croissants are good.

Not all are even decent.

Having grown up with fabulous French bakeries in my neighborhood and summering in the South of France, I must confess to being rather particular when it comes to my croissants. Ok, I'm a croissant snob.

15 minutes later I opened my oven.

These are what came out.

8 adorable and not so little golden treats.

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A proper croissant requires a proper French jam.

Only Bonne Mamman for us!

And how were they?

They were magnifique!

They were exactly as they should be... flaky, buttery... perfection!

And 8 nicely sized (not too large and not too small) croissant for just $4.00

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The next time I head over to Trader Joe's I'll pick up a couple of boxes just to have on hand. We had a couple left over and we froze them. They reheated perfectly. I do believe that these a must have in kitchens everywhere!

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My 7 year old wanted chocolate milk and my 11 year old wanted hot chocolate. All out of mix I remembered that I had seen a recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it out myself.

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's but you can get fancier if you prefer)
1 cup water
A dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan, add sugar, cocoa, and salt. Whisk together gently. Add water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool. Store in the refrigerator.

The recipe originated from Glorious Treats. And let me tell you it is phenomenal as both chocolate milk and hot chocolate! It is much better than the Hershey's syrup you get in the stores and you don't have to worry about the high fructose corn syrup! Use in milkshakes or as an ice cream topper!

This would make a lovely home made Christmas gift as well!

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XOXO,

Jessica