Delicious Every Time: KidLit Confections Croissant Cookies

Sometimes, I come across a book that I know I'm going to love just from the blurb. One that I know I'm going to want on my home library shelves even before I read a single page. This is one of those books.

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)

Clear back at the beginning of 2025, I saw a cover reveal and preorder announcement for IT'S YOU EVERY TIME by Charlene Thomas on Bluesky. I love a good time loop story, and the cover was so adorable that I was certain I was going to love this book. I immediately contacted one of my favorite local indie bookstores to preorder a copy, and then because I simply couldn't wait clear 'til May to read it, I managed to snag an advance copy from NetGalley to read it early. 

And of course I loved it--even more than I expected to. And I immediately had an ambitious idea for a new cookie to pair this delicious book with. I had hoped to have it ready to post for the book's release (in May 2025), but getting the cookie recipe just right took a while. I'm still thinking about the story after over a year, so now that I have the perfect cookie to pair it with, I might just sit down with a plate of Croissant Cookies and read it all over again!

The Book:

IT'S YOU EVERY TIME by Charlene Thomas

Description from the Publisher:

A story about self-discovery, grief, and destiny that begs the question: How do you keep going when your world has stopped spinning?

When Sydney Michaels stops for breakfast in order to put off scholastic ruin a little longer, she never expected to—quite literally—bump into cute-boy stranger, Marcus Burke.

When Marcus invites her to have breakfast with him instead of going to class, she can’t ignore the urge to get to know him better—or the fact that this charming new acquaintance seems just as interested in her.

After a magical day together in their hometown of New York City, Sydney is finally willing to believe that maybe—just maybe—after years of loss and heartache, she’s finally reached the good part.

But when it comes time to say goodbye, as they linger in a crosswalk, something happens. An accident? Sydney isn’t sure—all she knows is that, after screeching tires, blinding headlights, and a moment of searing pain, she opens her eyes and is back in her bed. On September 24–the morning of her big exam—again.

My Thoughts:

Time loop stories are my favorite tropes! I’m a huge sucker for the “soulmates who will always find each other” time loops. This one is one of the best I’ve ever read—and the surprise twist at the end absolutely floored me!

Both main characters are dealing with grief and trying to cope with the loss of someone close to them. And during the course of their repeated days, they help each other through in multiple little ways. But it’s not done in a heavy “this is a sad book about grief” kind of way. The biggest emotional arc that runs through the whole book is Hope.

The cute start-each-day moment of the time loop is that they both go to the same Dunkin’ and order croissant breakfast sandwiches. Hers: a sausage, egg and cheese croissant without the sausage and egg. His: a sausage, egg and cheese croissant sandwich without the cheese. So between them, they make a complete sandwich. And they have the same order number (#2), which is how they have their little meet cute. I really love this detail and especially how it fits in to that twist at the end that I did *not* see coming!!

The Recipe:

Usually, my #KidLitConfections recipes are delicious desserts that I already have in my recipe files (often created for folks who write me letters about the minor miracles they're seeing in the world in exchange for custom cookie creations). I love pairing the recipes I've created for people I love with  the delicious books I discover! But every once in a while, the book itself captures my heart in a way that requires a special custom recipe for that particular story. This is one of those books.

The meet-cute in IT'S YOU EVERY TIME, with the croissant sandwich order mix-up, was so integral to the story that I absolutely had to have a croissant-themed cookie to pair with the book! And I could immediately imagine the flavor and texture for this perfect croissant cookie. But I didn't have anything like it in my files, so I had to start experimenting. And because the two characters in this story had different croissant orders, the recipe had to also have different filling options. I have included a few of my favorites, but feel free to experiment with your own favorite fillings.

And leave me a comment below to let me know how you like to fill your Croissant Cookies! 

Croissant Cookies

2 c. butter, softened

2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp. salt

6 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour

Fillings (choose 1 for each of the 8 dough rounds):

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2-3 Tbsp. jam or preserves

¼ c. very finely chopped  walnuts or pecans

2-3 Tbsp. chocolate hazelnut spread

Cream together butter and cream cheese.

Add sweetened condensed milk and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Stir in flour, just until the dough comes together. Press into a large ball (it might be a bit crumbly in the mixing bowl, but it should come together nicely when pressed) and cut into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball.

Roll each dough ball into a 12-inch circle between two sheets of parchment paper, as if you were preparing a pie crust.* Stack the 8 dough circles on a baking sheet (keep them on their parchment papers to separate the layers and to make it easier to transfer the dough in the next step), and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to an hour. Don’t skip this step, or your dough will be too soft to work with in forming the cookies!

Take one prepared dough circle out of the fridge** and cut it into 8 wedges*** with a pizza cutter. Leave the other dough circles in the fridge while you work, so they remain chilled. Spread filling of your choice over the full circle (filling layer should be very thin), then roll each wedge, starting at the outer edge and ending at the triangle tip. (It might seem counterintuitive to cut the dough before spreading the filling, but it keeps your pizza cutter from getting gunked up with the filling!) Form each roll into a crescent shape and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Feel free to use the parchment paper you rolled and shaped the cookies on.) If the dough cracks or breaks while rolling it, let it sit for a minute or so to come closer to room temperature.

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 64 cookies.

* Incidentally, this dough can also be used as a crust for your favorite pies. One circle makes one crust.

** It helps to peel the circle off the parchment before cutting it, then just set it back on the paper while cutting and prepping, so it won’t stick when you’re trying to roll each cookie up.

*** You can do 12 or 16 wedges if you want smaller cookies.

This recipe pairs well with IT’S YOU EVERY TIME by Charlene Thomas. 

Printable PDF Recipes