This Little-Known French Pastry Is the Beautiful Love Child of a Chocolate Croissant and French Toast

As much as cooking is my passion and my job, I’m also a busy mom, so I am always on the lookout for quick and delicious recipes that taste like they’ve taken hours. When I saw the recipe for chocolate bostock on TikTok from Hailee Catalano of Cafe Hailee, it piqued my interest — I could see myself gaining breakfast brownie points!

For those not familiar with bostock, you are in very good company. I’m a little ashamed to admit that I had never heard of it, and that’s with me being European and coming from a culinary school background. However, in my defense, it is one of the lesser-known French pastries, and after tasting it, I can confirm that it definitely doesn’t get the attention it deserves. The best way to describe bostock is that it’s the beautiful love child of an almond croissant and French toast. Bostock is a slice of syrup-soaked brioche (that’s sometimes also spread with fruit preserves) that’s topped with frangipane (aka almond pastry cream) and then sprinkled with sliced almonds and baked. 

You’ll first make a honey-vanilla syrup, which only takes a few minutes in a skillet. While the syrup is cooling, you make the frangipane by creaming together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You’ll beat in a large egg, followed by almond flour, a splash of Cognac, whiskey, or rum (as an optional extra), vanilla paste, salt, and almond extract until combined. You’ll brush day-old slices of brioche generously with the cooled syrup on a parchment-lined baking sheet — the bread being slightly stale helps to soak up all the syrup like a sponge. The brioche is then spread with a layer of almond paste, topped with chopped pieces of chocolate, and sprinkled with some sliced almonds. It’s baked in a hot oven for 12 minutes until the frangipane sets, the chocolate melts, and the nuts are golden-brown. A dusting of powdered sugar completes it!

Although on paper it may sound like a bit of work to make a honey-vanilla syrup and frangipane from scratch for breakfast, it really takes no time. You’ll have a fancy French “pastry” well within half an hour, which is pretty impressive! It’s a great way to use stale brioche (challah works, too!) and feels a little more elevated than French toast. Hailee’s recipe is also concise and very easy to follow. 

I loved the crisp outer layer of the crust and the fluffy, light interior. I would have liked a few more almonds sprinkled on top than the suggested amount, but I think that’s just personal preference (or possibly just my greed!). My almond extract wasn’t very intense, so I doubled the almond extract when I made it a second time. However, I know that almond extract can be an acquired taste, and as many brands differ in strength, definitely follow Hailee’s measurement first before you start tweaking.

Chocolate bostock will become a brunch breakfast staple in our house, and I can confirm I gained the brownie points I was seeking, as my daughter took one to school for breakfast and asked me to make more. Although it’s beyond delicious served warm when the chocolate is warm and gooey, I believe it’s almost as good served at room temperature, as I enjoyed the bite of the chocolate once it had hardened, just like the inside of a chocolate croissant.  

I made it both with and without adding a splash of booze to the batter, but I enjoyed it more when I added a tablespoon of dark rum. The sugar in the alcohol tended to color the frangipane a little more than without, but this wasn’t a bad thing, as the caramelization only added more flavor.