LATE NIGHT BAKES: Thoughts become things, and I’ve been thinking about croissants for months now

…then a bunch of mini croissants from Raf’s Bakery in NYC found their way to my front door

Welcome to the late night baking portion of this newsletter where I let my sweet tooth take the wheel (because joy and intuitive eating are the backbone of my food philosophy.)

I’m so excited to be a part of this inaugural croissant series hosted by Camari Mick at Raf’s Bakery in New York City. She’s reached out to a handful of other chefs and creatives, seeking to craft croissants that evoke memories of their childhood and home.

We ran through a few different ideas together, but when it came down to it, I couldn’t escape the reality that a simple, solid, Southern Banana Pudding is my iconic childhood dessert. These days, I’ve been assembling mine with biscoff cookies instead of vanilla wafers. It’s an innocent swap that’s ruffled a few family members’ feathers, but it’s so moreish, I can’t help it.

Camari and her team crafted this Brown Butter version of Banana Pudding filled with Mini Biscoff Croissants (!) that will officially showcase at her bakery the week of August 27th. So you can stop by Raf’s to taste the collab in person (I will be stopping by too!) OR, because she was kind enough to share the ingredients and recipe here, you can try your hand at it below. Follow the Raf’s Croissant Club Series to see the upcoming creations and support her exciting new series that’s running throughout the summer and into fall.

Brown Butter Banana Pudding with Mini Biscoff Croissants

You will need to pull out your scale for this recipe (although I’ve included some volume metrics for guidance.) Be sure to brown the butter in advance and allow it to cool, and you can also puree the bananas in advance and add a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent oxidation.  

• 59g granulated sugar (a little over ¼ cup)

• 13g cornstarch

• 235g banana puree (from about 2 bananas)

• 59g egg yolks (from about 3 large yolks)

• 6g fine sea salt (1 tsp)

• 100g browned butter, at room temperature (from about 1 stick)

• 282 grams cold heavy whipping cream (about 1 ¼ cups)

• 2 ripe but firm banana, broken into bite size pieces

• 1, 6 ounce bag of mini Biscoff croissants from Raf’s Bakery (or sub regular biscoff cookies if you can’t make it out)  

1. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large mixing bowl and set aside. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and the cornstarch together until thoroughly combined, and set aside. 

3. Off the heat, in a medium sized pot add the banana puree and egg yolks and whisk to combine, then whisk in the sugar/cornstarch mixture. 

4. Place the pot on the stove and cook over medium-low heat whisking until thick. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter and salt.  Pour the pudding through the strainer to remove any clumps, pressing it through with a rubber spatula. Place the bowl over an ice bath to cool it quickly. 

5. Once the pudding has cooled, into a medium mixing bowl, add the heavy cream. Using a handheld beater, whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold a third of the cream into the cooled banana pudding at a time to keep airy.  Before fully incorporating the cream into the base, sprinkle 3/4 of the mini Biscoff croissants and the banana pieces into the base, finishing with the remaining cream. 

6. Transfer the pudding to a large trifle dish or individual fluted dessert glasses. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least one hour before serving, to allow the croissants to soften just a bit. When ready to serve, top with more biscoff croissants for garnish, and enjoy! :)

---

A Night Ritual: Since thoughts are the topic of the week, and I’m a firm believer that, for better or for worse, what you give your focus to will eventually become your reality, I wanted to share a writing exercise I learned from one of my own personal life coaches. It’s a tool you could familiarize yourself with as fast as it takes this pudding to set up in the fridge.

It was taught to me as the CTFAR Model (or the Self Coaching Model), and I love it because it visually depicts how thoughts become reality, and how changing our thoughts can help change our actions and ultimately the results we’re left with. It’s been a wonderful way to provide mental relief from repeating, unhelpful, negative thought spirals that sometimes pop up while I’m winding down for bed.

Try this tool in your nighttime journal:

At the top of the page write:

The Circumstance (This will be a neutral fact, but one that triggers you.)

then draw a line down the middle of the page.

On the left side of the page write:

Your Default Thought: (This is the typical thought you might have to that circumstance that might not necessarily be true.)

Your Default Feeling: (This is the feeling the thought creates in you. It’s usually one word. Ex. Shame.)

Your Typical Action: (This is the action you usually take as a response to that feeling.)

Your Probable Result: (because of your actions)

Now on the right side of the page write:

An Intentional thought:

An Intentional Feeling:

New Action:

Probable Result:

(For my own brain, it’s actually easier to operate from how I’d like to feel first, then move to a new thought, then down to the desired result, and then to the action that might produce that result, but whatever works for you!)

Now compare the right side and left side and see how you feel.

Thanks for reading!

And see you next week for more unraveling,

-Jerrelle