No one, they assumed, would hear them and they'd take the city by surprise. But they didn't think about the Vienna bakers. Normally at work while the rest of the city slept the bakers heard the tunneling, quickly warned the people, and saved the city from the invaders.
As a reward for their actions in defeating the Turks, the bakers were commissioned to make a special pastry in honor of the occasion. They selected a crescent or half-moon shaped pastry that resembled the emblem on the Turkish flag. Thus, when the citizens of Vienna bit down on the croissant, they were symbolically devouring the Turks.
Today, we use the French term "croissant" to refer to these pastries. They are made by rolling and re-rolling the yeast dough which has been layered with chilled butter. When the rolls are baked, each layer separates and produces a flaky texture.
You can make your own croissants, of course, if you have the time to prepare the puff pastry and do the required number of "turns," or rolling out of the dough. But if you don't have time to create your own croissants you can buy them already made and enjoy the taste without the work. Croissants, either fresh or frozen, are readily available in most grocery stores.
When croissants are mentioned most people think of them as a breakfast food. Served warm with butter they are perfect with your morning coffee. And croissants drizzled with chocolate are absolutely decadent. But croissants are much more versatile than that. Many restaurants feature special croissant sandwiches, ranging from those California-style creations containing alfalfa sprouts, avocado and cheese to tuna fish or ham and cheese.
But restaurants don't have a monopoly on croissants. You, too, can split croissants in half, lengthwise, and fill them with interesting combinations of cooked vegetables, meats and cheeses. Serve them as sandwiches or pour sauces over them to create unique luncheon and dinner entrees.
Croissants can be a meal or be served with a meal, or, they can just be enjoyed by themselves by spreading them with butter, flavored butter or cream cheese.
Croissants can save your day when you're overcome with an army of unexpected house guests, when you want to serve something quick yet festive, or when you'd just like to serve a delicious treat.
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