Choux au craquelin/ Crunchy cream puff

Choux au craquelin/ Crunchy cream puff

Profiteroles have been one of my favourite deserts as long as I can remember. One day I was browsing on the Internet and I found a recipe for crunchy version of profiteroles. Obviously I tried to make them without even thinking twice and boy was I glad I did... These crunchy cream puffs are amazing. They taste like profiteroles but personally, I like the texture a lot more than traditional profiteroles. Furthermore, when baking they rise very evenly and are absolutely empty inside, giving a lot of space for the cream. If you are in love with profiteroles like me, you will not be disappointed with this recipe.

 Choux dough:

• 120 g unsalted butter
• 130 g water
• 160 g whole milk
• 1 tsp salt and sugar
• 220 g eggs (I used 5 eggs)
• 160 g all purpose flour

Craquelin:

• 110 g sugar (granulated or caster)
• 100 g all purpose flour
• 16 g vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 110 g softened unsalted butter
• Food colouring

Cream :

• 250 g whole milk
• 60 g egg yolks (I used 3 egg yolks)
• 200 g double/heavy cream (around 33%)
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 15 g potato starch (I used 1 tbsp)
• 60 g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or 16 g vanilla sugar
• 0.5 tbsp lemon zest

 

 

Method

Craquelin:

Prepare your craquelin. In a bowl combine butter and sugar, mix with a spatula until the mixture will be smooth, then add vanilla sugar or extract, food colouring and mix again. Add flour to the mixture and mix until well incorporated. Form a ball and wrap it in cling film. Put into the fridge for around 10-15 min.

After 10-15 min take the craquelin from the fridge and place it in between two sheets of baking paper. Roll it out to 2-3mm thickness. Cut it into 4 pieces and let it cool in the freezer for around 1 hour. After you take it out it has to be ice cold.

Choux Dough:

In a bowl over simmering water combine milk, water and butter and let it melt stirring occasionally. Later, add 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of salt and bring the mixture to the boil.



 When the milk mixture will start boiling, put the flour and mix very well for around 2/3 min. Set aside to cool.

After your dough has cooled, you can start adding the eggs. As mentioned previously, I used 5 eggs but it depends on the size o the eggs. You should use around 220 g of eggs. Start by adding one egg at a time and mixing it in with a hand mixer. After all eggs are incorporated the mixture should be very smooth and a bit runny but not too much. Pour the dough into a piping bag and let it cool completely for a few more minutes.

When the dough has cooled completely, start piping it onto a baking tray. Later, take your craquelin from the freezer and using for example a very small glass or something similar cut small circles and put them on top of the choux dough. Work quickly and do not touch craqueline too much because it will start melting and we do not want that.
Bake these cream puffs in preheated oven of 200 C for around 32 min. Please do not open the oven while they are baking because the dough will not rise.

After 32 minutes take your cream puffs out of the oven and let them cool.

Cream :

Pour the milk and vanilla sugar/extract into a saucepan and place it over low heat. In another bowl combine egg yolks, potato starch and sugar, beat them slightly. When the milk will start boiling, pour the yolk mixture very slowly, constantly mixing. Mix your cream until it thickens, around 3-5 min. After it has thickened, take it off the heat and let it cool slightly, latter adding the butter and mixing well to incorporate. Let it cool in the fridge.

After your cream has cooled, pour double cream into a bowl and beat until it forms soft peaks. Pour double cream into the cream that we have made before and mix it with a hand mixer.

 

Lastly, we have to make holes in our choux au craqueline.



And add as much cream as we can.

 

Put the lid that we have taken off before back as carefully as you can and enjoy :)

Credits for this amazing recipe go to Andy Chef (http://andychef.ru/).