Variants
What is a pain au chocolat?
Croissant
Uncooked croissant can also be wrapped around any praline, almond paste or chocolate before it is baked (in the last case, it becomes like "pain au chocolat", which has a different, non-crescent, shape), or sliced to admit sweet or savoury fillings. Indeed, it may be flavoured with dried fruit such as sultanas or raisins, or other fruits such as apples. In France and Spain, croissants are generally sold without filling and eaten without added butter, but sometimes with almond filling. In the United States, sweet fillings or toppings are common, and warm croissants may be filled with ham and cheese or feta cheese and spinach. In the Levant, croissants are sold plain or filled with chocolate, cheese, almonds, or zaatar. In Germany, croissants are sometimes filled with Nutella or persipan; in Southern Germany there also is a popular variety of a croissant glazed with lye ("Laugencroissant"). In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the croissant is typically called a "Gipfeli" [g̥ɪp͡fəli], which typically has a crisper crust and is less buttery than the French style croissant.