Crookie: The latest pastry sensation sweeping across TikTok
What's the story
The "crookie," a delightful fusion of a croissant and a cookie, was created in 2022 by Paris-based renowned pastry chef Stephane Louvard. Initially designed as a novelty item for his regular customers, crookie's popularity skyrocketed after being featured on "The Ultimate Guide," an Instagram account known for spotlighting Parisian eateries. This exposure led to an impressive daily sale of between 150 and 200 crookies.
Viral moment
TikTok influencer boosts Crookie's popularity
The crookie trend gained further traction in early 2023 when Johan Papz, a popular TikTok influencer, posted a video of himself enjoying Louvard's pastry. This viral moment led to an influx of young female patrons aged between 18 and 25 years old at Louvard's bakery. As a result, the bakery's production increased to between 1,000 and 1,600 crookies per day, necessitating the hiring of two additional staff members.
Chef's perspective
Louvard's reaction to the crookie phenomenon
Despite the overwhelming attention, pastry chef Louvard expressed surprise at the crookie craze. He described the situation as "a bit insane," noting that it was just a cookie in a croissant and not some revolutionary invention. Despite this, he has no plans to patent his creation, questioning the need to potentially find himself in court with half the planet over a pastry.
Global trend
Crookie craze spreads beyond Paris
The crookie trend has now spread beyond Paris, with bakeries worldwide creating their own versions. From Brussels to New York and Tel Aviv to Asia, imitations of the crookie are emerging. In Hong Kong, Plumcot bakery introduced its version featuring dark chocolate cookie dough atop its signature croissant. Another Hong Kong-based online patisserie, Le Dessert, offered a unique spin using homemade pecan and chocolate cookie dough.
Recipe
Here's the viral recipe to bake crookie at home
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside. Combine butter, brown and white sugars in a mixing dish and swirl. Stir in yogurt, flour, baking soda, salt, chocolate pieces, and chocolate chips. Take two big croissants and cut them in half. Ensure to reserve some cookie dough for the top and stuff each cookie to the brim. Once the cookie dough has firm, bake the croissants for 10 to 12 minutes.