Put mandarins in a medium size saucepan and cover with water.
Over medium high heat (8 out of 10) bring to boil, cook for 2 minutes. Take off heat, cover and leave overnight to cool off.
Discard the water, cut each mandarin stem end. Slice each mandarin, about 10 mm (3/8″) slices and remove any seeds and tough membranes.
Put the sliced mandarins in a processor and gently puree by pulsing the processor 3-4 times.
Add sugar and pectin and pulse the processor few more times.
Transfer the pureed mixture to medium size saucepan, bring to boil over medium high heat (8 out of 10) and cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously.
Transfer hot marmalade to a separate container and let cool completely.
Almond Cream Filling
In a food processor process together ground almonds, powder sugar and corn starch.
Add tempered butter and salt, process until smooth.
Add an egg and vanilla extract, process until homogenized. Transfer to a sealable container, set aside.
Almond Syrup
Add into medium size sauce pan water, sugar, ground almonds and vanilla extract. Bring to boil over medium high heat (8 out of10), stir occasionally.
Take off heat, set aside to cool off.
Stir in orange blossom water or clementine zest.
Almond Croissant Assembly
Preheat the oven, rack in the middle:
– Convection oven (fan is on): 180ºC(350ºF) bake for 18-20 minutes.
– Conventional oven: 190ºC(375ºF) and bake for about 22-25 minutes.
Cut croissant into 2 halves, lengthwise, separate the top from the flat bottom.
Quickly dunk the bottom into lukewarm almond syrup, drain off any excess liquid.
Note: Do not soak!
Place the croissant bottom onto a parchment paper lined baking pan.
Coat the croissant bottom with 5 mm (1/4″) thick layer of room temperature almond cream.
Spread a thin layer of mandarin marmalade on the cut side of the top croissant part, flip it and set on the bottom part of the croissant.
Spread thin layer of almond cream across the top of the croissant, sprinkle with crushed and sliced almonds. Dust with powder sugar just before baking!
Transfer the croissant to the cooling rack to cool off. Serve at room temperature!
Recipe Notes
Mandarin marmalade can be refrigerated up to a month.
Almond cream can be refrigerated up to a week and kept frozen up to two months.
Bring mandarin marmalade and almond cream to room temperature before using.
Almond croissants can be kept (assembled) frozen for weeks, thaw before baking and dust with powder sugar.