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Choux au Craquelin Recipe

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Choux au Craquelin is a delightful French pastry featuring light and airy choux buns topped with a crunchy, sweet craquelin layer that cracks beautifully during baking. These golden puffs are filled with a luscious vanilla whipped cream, offering a perfect balance of textures and flavors. Ideal for an elegant dessert or a special treat, this recipe walks you through making the craquelin, choux pastry, and whipped cream filling from scratch.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Choux Pastry:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs

For the Craquelin:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Craquelin: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, flour, and vanilla extract. Mix until a smooth dough forms. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/8 inch thick. Freeze for about 15-20 minutes until firm.
  2. Make the Choux Pastry: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the pan sides. Let it cool for about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.
  3. Pipe the Choux: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the choux pastry dough to a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe small mounds about 1.5 inches in diameter onto the baking sheet, spacing them apart. Remove the craquelin from freezer and cut into circles slightly smaller than the choux mounds. Place one craquelin circle atop each mound.
  4. Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes until the choux are puffed up and golden brown. Do not open the oven door during baking. When done, turn off the oven and crack the door open, allowing the choux to cool inside for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. Prepare the Filling: In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Use the whipped cream to fill the cooled choux puffs as desired.

Notes

  • Ensure the choux dough is smooth and glossy after adding eggs to achieve proper rise and texture.
  • Do not open the oven door during baking to prevent the choux from collapsing.
  • The craquelin adds a delicious crunchy topping and should be chilled well before baking.
  • Whip the cream just until soft peaks; overwhipping can result in butter.
  • Use a sharp cutter or cookie ring for uniform craquelin circles.

Keywords: choux au craquelin, French pastry, choux pastry, craquelin, cream puffs, whipped cream filling, dessert recipe

Find it online: https://dishedbydana.com/choux-au-craquelin-recipe/