Le Croissant De Chocolat Avec Les Framboises

Framboise means "raspberry" in French.  Isn't that a fun word to say - fra-a-mbois-e.  It sounds very fancy and a bit pretentious.  

Anyway ... 

One of my favorite things to eat at a bakery is a chocolate croissant with raspberries.  There is a local bakery here in town that makes them perfectly, but I don't have many opportunities to go there.  And while I am all for supporting local businesses, since discovering the perfect way of enjoying these pastries at home, I will have even less need to go the bakery!

If you have a panini press (or even a frying pan), you can make them too and they are SO good!

Le Croissant De Chocolat Avec Les Framboises (because it sounds better titled in French)

a store bought croissant, sliced lengthwise

plain cream cheese

semi-sweet chocolate chips

fresh raspberries

After slicing the croissant in half lengthwise, smear a thin layer of cream cheese on the inside of the slices.  Sprinkle chocolate chips and place whole raspberries on the bottom slice.  Cover with the top slice and put into a panini maker on medium and cook until the croissant is golden brown and the chocolate is melted.  Enjoy with coffee and a good book!

The cream cheese holds all of the ingredients together, the chocolate is gooey and melty, and the warm raspberries are eye-rollingly good.  The panini press toasts the croissants (no need to add butter) and fuses it together to hold the filling inside.  It is flaky, crispy and buttery.  But really, do I need to convince you any more?