Strawberry Bostock

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Whip up this sweet strawberry bostock for breakfast or brunch with an easy homemade frangipane and leftover brioche. 

One of my favorite things to get at coffee shops is almond croissants. If you’ve never had one, stale croissants are cut in half and filled with a luscious almond cream and then rebaked for a decadent morning treat.

I can’t get those every day, of course, so I like to take care of the craving by making a batch of bostock. This French almond pastry is made with sliced brioche (or challah) and homemade frangipane, creating an impressive yet easy dish!

Bostock is mainly flavored with almond, so it works well with a variety of fruit toppings, especially strawberries, making it the perfect way to ring in the spring season.

Ingredients for bostock

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

• Brioche – The number of slices you’ll need will depend on how big the loaf is (I used 6). You can also use challah, which typically is about half the height of brioche, so expect to use more slices.
• Almonds – I used both slivered (for the frangipane) and sliced (for topping).
• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Cornstarch
• Egg
• Almond extract
• Vanilla extract
• Fresh strawberries – Sliced or diced
• Powdered sugar

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper.

First, combine the sliced strawberries with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a small bowl. Let the strawberries macerate while you continue the recipe.

Slice the brioche into 1-inch-thick slices and set aside. I recommend starting with 4 slices and cutting more as needed when you are topping the bread with the cream.

To make the cream, add 3/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds to a food processor and chop until finely ground to create almond meal. 

To the food processor, add the butter, granulated sugar, flour, cornstarch, extracts, and egg. Purée until fully blended and the mixture is a creamy, smooth paste.

If you don’t have a food processor you can do this step in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, in a bowl with a hand mixer, or simply by hand. This will work best if your butter is softened beforehand.

Use a butter knife or offset spatula to spread a thick layer of the frangipane onto each slice of bread. (Cut more bread if you have more almond cream to use.) Place on the baking sheet.

Divide the strawberries evenly between the slices, then top each piece of bread with sliced almonds.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the almond cream is lightly puffed and golden brown.

Let cool briefly to set the cream, then top with powdered sugar and serve.

Storage tips

You can make the almond cream ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use. This is perfect for whipping up a fresh slice of bostock in the morning when you don’t want to make a whole batch!

Bostock freezes well, too. Freeze it either before or after baking, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake per the original recipe. Make sure to wrap the slices well before freezing to prevent freezer burn, and your bostock will keep for about 3 months frozen.

Leftovers can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy at room temperature or rewarm for a few minutes in the oven (or a toaster oven).

Note that the bostock will lose its crispness in storage, especially if you do add the strawberries.

Enjoy this sweet start to the morning!