CREAM PUFFS WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CRAQUELIN
Notes: Is there anything better than well-made cream puffs with the best quality ingredients you can get your hands on? Think pasture raised organic eggs, grass fed dairy (butter and cream), and organic dark chocolate. As usual, I focus on flavor rather than sugar. The dark chocolate ganache filling is only sweetened with 70% dark chocolate and vanilla bean paste, with a touch of salt to heighten the flavors. The craquelin topping is made with white chocolate, rather than butter and sugar, and lastly I give the cream puffs a top-hat swirl of white chocolate ganache. Craquelin is a lot easier to make than you think and it’s all outlined below. Also, I’ve tested this recipe enough times that I have identified the keys to making puffs (and eclairs) that don’t deflate. Although totally unnecessary, the pink rose buds I used for garnish were so potent that they imparted a touch of rose flavor to the white chocolate topping, which was unexpected but delightful. As usual, ingredients, where provided in grams, were weighed.
Watch to see the key steps in action.
Special Equipment:
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Hand electric mixer
Digital kitchen scale with accuracy at low gram weights. I often link the exact scale I use in my recipes because it’s reasonably priced, accurate, precise, and reliable: OXO Good Grips Digital Kitchen Scale, 11 lbs
Optional: Silicone air mat with markings for cream puffs and eclairs. This is the exact air mat I have and use: Silikomart - AIR MATT LIGHT & CABBAGE - SILICONE CARPET 300X400 MM
Piping bags. If you’re looking for biodegradable (but strong) piping bags, I found these after much searching: Keenpioneer 18-Inch Biobased Disposable Piping Bags, Plant Based Cake Decorating Pastry Bag - Pack of 100
Extra large French star or plain (round) piping tip; 1.5-2 cm opening (for puffs)
Piping tip with a small plain opening (for ganache)
Rolling pin (for craquelin)
Prep time: 1 hour (+2 hrs resting dough in the fridge)
Bake time: ~40 mins
Total time: ~3 hours and 40 mins
Ingredients:
Cream puff choux dough:
Unsalted butter: 120 g (2/3 cup)
Water: 120 mL (1/2 cups)
Whole milk: 120 mL (1/2 cup)
Salt: 1/2 tsp (I use pink Himalayan salt)
Granulated sugar: 2 tsp
Bread flour, sifted: 140 g (1 cup)
Eggs, beaten: 220 g (1 cup); this is ~4 large eggs
Dark chocolate ganache filling:
Heavy whipping cream (cold): 550 mL
Vanilla bean paste: 2 and 1/2 tsp
Powdered sugar: 25 g (optional);
*The ganache will be very lightly sweet without added sugar. If you prefer slightly more sweet, but not overwhelmingly so then add powdered sugar.
Salt: 1/2 tsp + pinch more to taste
Dark chocolate (I used 70% dark): 105 g
*I would recommend using chocolate in the 60-70% cacao range, but not exceeding 70% as it will not be sweet enough.
White chocolate craquelin:
Finely milled almond flour: 61 g
White chocolate: 123 g
AP flour: 17 g
Salt: pinch
Optional white chocolate ganache topping:
White chocolate: 45 g
Heavy whipping cream (cold): 240 mL (1 cup)
Optional, vanilla bean paste: 1 tsp; white chocolate usually incorporates some vanilla flavor already so adding vanilla bean paste is for aesthetic reasons as well as more vanilla flavor.
Salt: pinch
Directions:
Cream puff choux:
Sift and measure out flour and set aside for the next step.
Combine butter, water, milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the mixture comes to a soft boil remove from heat and add the flour and mix in with a spatula until you get a cohesive dough.
With the flour added place the saucepan back on the stove and cook the dough for 2 min over medium heat mixing constantly. Some water will evaporate thickening the dough.
Tip: Time the cooking of the choux dough to exactly 2 mins (not less) on medium heat. This will be enough time to allow the flour starches to start to gel and evaporate sufficient water which will help stabilize the cream puffs once you bake them.
Transfer the dough into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and start beating the dough on low speed for at least 2 mins to allow it to cool down a little.
Add a small amount of beaten eggs into the dough while continuing to mix on low speed. Let the egg fully incorporate before adding more. The dough will come together and should reach a smooth, pipeable consistency. You want the dough to be thick but pipable. *Tip: If you timed the cooking of the choux dough correctly you will need to use all of the 4 large eggs to get it to the correct consistency. You want the dough to slowly fall off the paddle in a V shape. It’s better for the dough to be a little too thick (but still with some flow or movement) than on the wet side. If the dough is too wet and loose it will likely collapse during baking or not hold it's shape well after baking. *Conversely, if you find that after adding all the eggs your dough is not falling off the paddle, it’s too thick because too much water was evaporated in the previous step. This can be remedied by adding a tsp of water and beating into the dough on low speed. Add one tsp of water at a time until you get that thick but pipable consistency.
Transfer the dough into a pastry bag fitted with French star nozzle tip or plain (round) tip (1.5 cm diameter at the tip) and rest the dough in the fridge for 1-2 hours. *This is a good place to stop, and come back the next day if you can’t come back in 1-2 hours.
Make the dark chocolate ganache and white chocolate craquelin while the choux dough is resting in the fridge (see directions below).
Once the dough has chilled and rested in the pastry bag, pipe 18-20 (you may end up with less if you pipe them too big) equal sized cream puffs, ~2 inches in diameter, on a perforated air mat, or parchment paper, leaving a bit of space in between them as they will puff up when baked.
Take the tray of cut-out craquelin discs out of the freezer and center them on top of the cream puffs and press down lightly.
*Tip: The craquelin softens quickly at room temperature so if you find that the craquelin has softened too much and you can’t pick up a circle without tearing or deforming it, place the tray back in the freezer for 5 mins and they will be good to go.
Refrigerate the tray of puffs while preheating the oven.
Preheat oven to 400 F (to get it exra hot) then drop the oven temperature to 340 F right after placing the baking tray in the oven and bake the puffs for at least 30 min without opening the oven door.
After 30 mins, rotate the tray of puffs on the oven rack, drop the temp to 280 F and bake for another 8-10 mins.
Cool the puffs on the perforated air mat, or if using parchment paper, transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Since the craquelin is so delicate I like to flip each baked puff over and place it in a small bowl to cradle it while I fill the puff with ganache rather than using my warm hand. You can also use a gloved hand if you prefer.
Puncture a small hole in the center of the bottom of each puff, using the pastry tip, and fill until ganache peaks out of the hole and flip back over.
Top with a swirl of optional white chocolate ganache. Welcome to heaven on Earth.
Dark chocolate ganache:
Whip cold whipping cream to medium peaks then briefly whip in vanilla bean paste, optional powdered sugar and salt to incorporate. Set aside in the fridge.
Melt the dark chocolate using the microwave tempering method: 30 seconds to start, mix thoroughly until all chocolate that will melt has a chance to do so, then follow with a 20 second burst and mix again thoroughly. You can following with an additional 15-20 second burst if there are still lumps of unmelted chocolate.
*Tip: If using a glass bowl for the microwave tempering method this is ok for small amounts of chocolate as glass retains some heat, which can potentially cause the chocolate to overheat and scorch or ruin the beta crystal structure if you go overboard. Plastic bowls are typically recommended for this method because they don’t retain heat as much, but as you see from the IG reel I consistently use glass bowls for microwave tempering small amounts of chocolate and it works fine. Put the bowl of melted chocolate in the fridge for a minute to help bring the temp down slightly because you will incorporate some whipped cream into it next.
Now take approximately one third of your whipped cream and thoroughly fold it into the melted chocolate. Then transfer the chocolate/whipped cream mixture to the rest of the whipped cream and whip to stiff peaks.
Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a small, plain tip (or tip with small opening) and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
White chocolate craquelin:
Melt white chocolate using microwave tempering method: 30 sec, mix thorougly, 20 sec, mix thoroughly, another 15-20 seconds if needed and mix thoroughly after each round to ensure all chocolate that will melt does so.
Mix in almond flour and AP flour and pinch of salt until thoroughly combined.
Transfer to parchment paper, cover with another paper, roll to 3 mm thickness and freeze flat (place on tray before freezing) for ~10 mins.
Cut 2.4-2.6” diameter circles from the craquelin using a cookie cutter (or appropriately sized lid).
Place back in freezer until ready to use.
Optional white chocolate ganache:
Follow the same directions as for the dark chocolate ganache.