The Sweet Spanish Pastry José Andrés Calls 'A Croissant For The Gods'

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Born in Asturias and raised in Barcelona, chef José Andrés knows (and loves) Spanish cuisine, connected to it thanks to childhood weekends spent managing the fire as his father expertly prepared paella. After cooking and traveling the world via the Spanish navy, Andrés settled in the United States, where he champions the food that connects us all. However, one thing he especially wants Americans to learn about (and enjoy) is xuixos (also spelled xuxos).

Okay, that's all well and good — but what, precisely, is it? Xuixo is a croissant-like pastry that was named after a sneeze — you read that right, and yes — its pronunciation sounds sort of similar to "achoo." Others claim it's named after the sound of biting into the crispy pastry. Like the croissant it resembles, xuixos begin life as laminated dough. However, the rolls are then fried and stuffed to the brim with luscious crema Catalana. Citrusy and lighter than its British relation, crème anglaise, crema Catalana is often brûléed, much like — you guessed it — a crème brûlée.

Back to our newfound favorite pastry: After being fried, xuixos are rolled in sugar as the finishing touch. Now, apparently, José Andrés sells these crispy beauties via Goldbelly, so pardon us — we have to go order two dozen.

You (thankfully) don't have to fly to Catalonia to enjoy these crispy, crunchy delights. Sure, you can make your own laminated dough if you really want a pastry that shines, but it's so much easier to buy it frozen. We suggest something simple, like a four-pack of Whole Foods frozen croissants — only, instead of baking them, you're going to deep-fry these bad boys. Once they're golden and perfectly crunchy, let them sit a moment on a rack to cool off just a touch (you'll melt your filling otherwise), and use a pastry bag and tip to stuff them. You can use a crema Catalana, but plain old Nutella works a trick, too. Roll them in sugar and stuff your face.

Now, you can fill them before you fry them (as is the traditional method), but you need to re-roll your croissants, and you have to seal them perfectly, or you risk your filling leaking out into your oil. Yikes! We think it's easier to do it post-fry.

Feel free to eat this plain, as a snack, or for dessert, or pair your xuixo with a cup of dark coffee for the perfect accompaniment. You'll frequently see them served with a scoop of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream at bakeries and cafés in Spain, so please do that too.