Sweet of the Week: Biscuit-Croissant at Cafe Integral

Just my luck that immediately after compiling a roundup of my favorite hybrid foods, like ramen tamales and flan cake, I'd stumble across the greatest hybrid food of all. It looks like a modest breakfast pastry, but the chocolate biscuit-croissant mashup at Cafe Integral is much more than meets the eye. The confection comes to the River North cafe courtesy of Goddess and the Baker, a Loop bakery with a penchant for confectionary ingenuity. Sporting rich, flaky layers of a croissant juxtaposed by the buttery density of a biscuit, this sweet surprise is definitely worth seeking out. 

 

To the untrained eye, it looks like a pretty standard biscuit, albeit drizzled with a bit of chocolate. "What's this chocolate thing?" I asked the barista. "It's the greatest thing ever!" she effusively proclaimed. I didn't really need to hear much more; I was sold. It sports the sturdy, thick exterior of a biscuit, while the inside is comprised of delicate, flaky layers a la a croissant. There's a thin layer of warm chocolate in the middle, along with the fudgy frosting on top. When biscuit meets croissant, sweet meets salty, so the flavors are on point in terms of balance, assuming your idea of balance is richness in any and all forms. Mine is. 

- Matt Kirouac