![]() Croffle | |
Type | Pastry |
---|---|
Place of origin | Ireland |
Created by | Louise Lennox |
The croffle is a hybrid of a croissant and waffle. [1] It was popularized in South Korea and then spread throughout the world. [1] The concept is reminiscent of another pastry, the Cronut, which is a croissant and donut hybrid created by Dominique Ansel. [1]
The croissant and waffle are both popular breakfast items; the croffle combines the buttery layers of the croissant with the crispiness of the waffle. [2] Furthermore, the waffle patterning allows the pastry to catch syrups, sauces, or other toppings. [2] Many sweet and/or savory combinations are possible (e.g. avocado and feta, lemon cheesecake, and Nutella and banana). [2]
Although it was popularized in South Korea, Irish pastry chef and TV show host, Louise Lennox, is sometimes credited with having inventing the pastry. [1] [2] [3] Lennox collaborated with bakery chain Cuisine de France at a 2017 pop-up called La Petite Boulangerie in Dublin, Ireland where the croffle was the pièce de résistance. [1] [2] However, a 2015 Food & Wine home cooking video in New York City also demonstrates how to make the croffle. [1] [4]
In November 2018, the café Aufglet debuted the croffle in Seoul. [1] [5] By early 2019, the croffle's popularity spread throughout the city, being served at various cafes and street food vendors. [1] In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic increase in popularity. [1] The ingredients were accessible and the preparation was relatively easy, so people staying at home started making croffles and posting them on social media. [1] Some estimates suggest that waffle iron sales increased 300 percent from May 2019 to 2020. [1] On 7 April 2020, South Korean singer and actress, Kang Min-kyung, posted on Instagram that the croffle was "really, so, so, so tasty". [1]
Later in 2020, the croffle's popularity reached the United States, appearing in Flushing, Queens and Los Angeles Koreatown. [1] [3] It continued to spread globally, and started being served in pastry shops in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Canada, and Indonesia. [1] Up to 2021, it continued to be popular on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube. [1]
Croffles require croissant dough which can either be made or purchased. Purchasing croissant dough is the more practical method. [3] Options for prepared dough include store-bought croissant dough like Pillsbury or unbaked croissant dough from a local bakery. [3] The dough is rolled in a croissant configuration. [3] Then the croissant dough is rolled in sugar, either white or brown, and evenly coated. [3] This enables the croffle to have a crispy golden exterior. [3] The dough is then cooked in a waffle iron. [3] The waffle maker is preheated. [3] The croissant is pressed into it until golden and cooked through. [3] Various toppings can then be added. [3]