Just how good are the pastries at King Arthur's café?

During my recent 4 day artisan bread class at King Arthur Flour, I simply had to do a petite sampling of a couple of my favorite pastries - croissants and scones.  So, one morning I arrived early and picked up a cup of coffee, a croissant and a blueberry scone.

The croissant had a classic appearance,

and when I pulled off an end, there were those lovely golden exterior shards that fell onto the plate.

The interior had a nicely laminated airiness,

and the flavor was pleasant with just the right buttery mouth feel.  Biting into the croissant yielded that crispy exterior and airy, yet substantive interior.  All in all I'd give it a thumbs-up!

Here's a quick observation regarding the croissant's shape.  I was taught that in France, if the croissant ends are turned in (as this one's are) then it is NOT an all butter croissant.  If the croissant is straight, it IS all butter.

Now, I will admit that I didn't ask the staff whether their croissants are all butter, but I did observe the large butter blocks being formed in the production kitchen, so I think they must be.

The blueberry scone looked pretty classic.

I broke off a piece,

and upon tasting found it to have a just-so hint of exterior crunch, a pleasant flavor, packed with blueberries but a bit too cakey on the inside.  I'd still give it a thumbs up.

Tasting and comparing flavors and textures is great fun and a wonderful way to discover more about how you might want your own pastries to turn out.

It's all about learning!