CHARLOTTE, N.C. — We are talking dessert today and we invited none other than Pastry Chef Antwine Love to make a dessert that you will love. Choux Au Craquelin can be a great Mother's Day dessert and it is indeed delicious. This is the perfect versatile pastry dough; you can bake and fry it. All you need to do is serve , eat and enjoy!
Here is the recipe:
CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN (CRISPY CREAM PUFFS)
Craquelin Topping
2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
Choux Pastry
1 Cup Water (or whole Milk)
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
4 Eggs (room temp)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions
Craquelin Topping
• Place the very soft butter in a small bowl and mix it with a stiff spatula to make sure there are no large lumps.
• Add the Brown Sugar and cream it with the butter until smooth
• Mix in the Flour until you get a smooth paste.
• Place the craquelin dough between two sheets of baking paper. Gently flatten it with your hands then use a Rolling Pin to roll it into a thin layer
• Place in the freezer over a flat tray to chill for at least 1 hour (or 2 hours in the fridge).
Choux Pastry
• Preheat your oven on 180'C/350'F
• Place the Water, Butter and Sugar in a small pot and leave on medium heat until the butter has melted and sugar has dissolved.
• Away from the heat, drop in the Flour at once then mix it in using a stiff spatula until a rough dough comes together.
• Place the pot back on low heat and stir the dough for 2 to 3 minutes to dehydrate it and remove any moisture (2)
• Transfer the dough into the bowl of your mixer and set aside to cool down for at least 15 minutes, or until it gets back to room temperature (3)
• Whisk the Eggs in a separate bowl. Add them to the dough a little bit at the time, mixing well between each addition. The dough should be smooth before you add more eggs. When almost all of the eggs have been added, stop to check the consistency of the dough before adding more (4).
• Transfer the Choux Pastry into a Piping Bag fitted with a large round Piping tip.
• Pipe small balls of pastry (5) over a greased flat baking tray, leaving room between each choux as they will puff.
Assembling the Craquelin Choux
• Take the Craquelin out of the freezer and remove the top layer of baking paper.
• With a round cookie cutter, about the size of the piped choux, cut out small disks of dough.
• Using a small offset spatula, lift up the Craquelin disks and place them over each Choux buns.
• Bake for 20 minutes, then open the door for a couple of seconds to let the steam out. Close the door again and bake for an addition 10 to 15 minutes, or until puffed, golden and dry to the touch.
• Place over a cooling rack to cool down completely before filling with your choice of cream.
For more great recipes follow Chef Antwine on social media @AntwineAntoinette.