The crookie, a combination of croissant and cookie created by Stéphane Louvard, a Parisian baker, has taken social media by storm after becoming popular on TikTok. The demand for this unique pastry has exploded in recent months, with Mr. Louvard selling thousands each day at his bakery in Paris. The croissant has long been a favorite in the French capital, but fusion baking, like the crookie, has become more popular in recent years with trends like the brookie, cronut, and cruffin.
Inspired by seeing his team making cookies next to him while preparing croissants one morning, Mr. Louvard combined the two pastries to create the crookie. He initially made them for fun, but after a TikTok video went viral, demand for the crookies skyrocketed. Customers from all over the world, including a guest at a five-star hotel in Paris, have flocked to Maison Louvard to try this unique pastry. Despite some detractors criticizing the crookie for being oily, heavy, or too expensive, Mr. Louvard defends the high-quality ingredients and craftsmanship that go into making each crookie.
Creating the perfect viennoiserie, a soft and airy pastry with a crispy and buttery exterior, takes Mr. Louvard and his team 36 hours of meticulous preparation. Many French bakers have opted to buy frozen croissants instead of making them from scratch due to the time-consuming process. However, some hope that social media trends, like the crookie craze, will inspire more people to bake pastries themselves. French chef Amaury Guichon even made his own crookie on TikTok, gaining millions of views.
Crookie mania has not only spread across France, with large industrial bakery chains selling their version of the crookie called the “crookiz,” but it has also become a global phenomenon. Influencers from around the world have shared their experiences with crookies, and bakeries in cities like Sydney, Dubai, Singapore, and New York have started offering their own versions. While fusion baking, like the crookie, may be entertaining, the ultimate question remains where to find the best croissant in Paris, according to chef Didier Chaput.
With the widespread popularity of the crookie, more bakers are embracing fusion baking to create innovative and unique pastries that capture the attention of social media users. Even traditional French bakers are incorporating modern trends like the crookie into their offerings to attract a new generation of customers. By combining classic French pastries with new and unexpected flavors, bakers hope to inspire creativity and excitement in the world of pastry-making. Despite some criticism, the crookie serves as an example of how social media trends can drive new food crazes and bring attention to traditional baked goods in a modern and innovative way.
