Delicious Cruffins 

Delicious Cruffins are a delightful hybrid between croissants and muffins, offering the flaky, buttery layers of a croissant with the convenient, handheld shape of a muffin. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, cruffins are both elegant and easy to enjoy on the go. This recipe guides you through creating these light, airy pastries with a crisp exterior and tender inside, ideal for filling or glazing as desired.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  
  

• 1/4 cup warm water (about 110°F/43°C)
  
  

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
  

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  
  

• 1 teaspoon salt
  
  

• 1 cup whole milk, warm
  
  

• 1 large egg
  
  

• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cold (for laminating)
  
  

• Additional flour for dusting
  
  

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let it activate for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
   
   

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
   
   

3. Add warm milk, egg, and activated yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
   
   

4. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
   
   

5. Roll out dough into a large rectangle. Place cold butter between two sheets of parchment and pound/roll into a thin square roughly half the size of the dough rectangle.
   
   

6. Place butter block on one half of the dough, fold the other half over, sealing edges.
   
   

7. Roll out dough again and perform a series of folds (like folding a letter) to laminate the butter into layers, chilling the dough between folds for at least 30 minutes. Repeat the rolling and folding process 3-4 times.
   
   

8. Roll out final dough and cut into strips. Roll each strip into a spiral and place into a greased muffin tin.
   
   

9. Cover and let proof until puffy, about 1 hour.
   
   

10. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake cruffins for 20-25 minutes or until golden and flaky.
    
    

11. Let cool slightly before removing from tins. Optionally glaze or fill as desired.
    
    

Nutritional Information (per cruffin, approx., makes 12):

• Calories: 350 kcal
  
  

• Total Fat: 22 g
  
  

• Saturated Fat: 14 g
  
  

• Cholesterol: 70 mg
  
  

• Sodium: 220 mg
  
  

• Total Carbohydrates: 30 g
  
  

• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
  
  

• Sugars: 6 g
  
  

• Protein: 6 g