Cream puffs are a beautiful and light dessert but that doesn't mean they don't pack a punch when it comes to flavours. Chocolate covered strawberries are a Valentine's Day must have dessert but why not kick that up a notch and bring both those delicious recipes together.
This recipe may seem intimidating and full of steps but many of these steps take very little time and with practise become easier and easier each time. Included in this post is a recipe for; Chocolate pastry cream, Choux pastry, and Craquelin. What is Craquelin you may ask? Its basically flour, butter and brown sugar frozen discs that placed on top of your Choux pastry before baking helps keep your Choux perfectly rounded and create that beautiful crumble effect on top of these cream puffs. Choux is just the name given to the dough used in this recipe, it can also be used to make eclairs.
First you need to make your crhaquelin, it needs to sit in the freezer for about 2-3 hours to firm up.
Once you have the craquelin in the freezer then you can start on the pastry cream. The pastry cream takes about 10 minutes to cook but then need to cool in the fridge for about an hour.
Once your pastry cream in cooled and the craquelin is firm you can start on your Choux pastry. I used a scale for measuring the ingredients for my Choux pastry but have converted most of the measurements to cups and teaspoons. A scale is a great purchase if you are interested in making all types of pastry, measuring by weight really influences the way your recipe turns out.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cream Puffs
For Craquelin:
Ingredients;
- 1/3 cup butter, softened - 100grams
- 1/2 cup brown sugar - 75grams
- 1/4 cup white sugar - 25grams
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour - 110grams
Instructions;
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy, add flour and mix on low speed until well combined.
Remove mixture from bowl onto a sheet of parchment, top with another sheet of parchment and then roll out until craquelin is about 3mm thick. Place in freezer and chill for 1-2 hours.
Chocolate Pastry Cream:
Ingredients;
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 1/2 cups cream milk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions;
In a medium pot on medium heat combine cream, milk and vanilla, cook until milk mixture starts to boil. In a medium bowl whisk together egg yolks, sugar and corn starch.
Once milk has just started to boil remove from heat, slowly while whisking pour 1/2 of milk mixture into egg mixture, whisking vigorously to temper the eggs. Add egg mixture into pot with the rest of the milk mixture and continue whisking, return pot to medium heat and whisk continuously until mixture starts to thicken. (strain if needed to get out any lumps)
When pastry cream just starts to bubble remove from heat and stir in chopped dark chocolate until completely melted and combined. Pour warm pastry cream into a pan and cover with plastic wrap, press the plastic wrap right onto surface of cream to prevent skin from forming while it cools. Place in the fridge and cool for at least an hour or overnight.
For Pate a Choux:
Ingredients;
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 125 grams butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup flour
- 4 eggs, beaten slightly
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400F and line a cookie sheet with parchment that has 2 inch in diameter circles drawn on the back side leave about 2 inches between each for spreading (I used both 2 inch diameter and 1 inch diameter).
In a medium pot on medium heat, combine water, milk, butter, sugar and salt. bring mixture to a boil and then remove from heat.
Stir flour in all at once and return to heat, stirring for about 2 minutes to help dry out the dough. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl of a stand mixture, fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute to help cool down the dough. With the mixer on low slowly pour in eggs 1/3 of mixture at a time until fully incorporated. The dough is ready to pipe once it has started to ball together in the middle of your bowl or it pulls away from side of bowl.
Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe Choux onto cookie sheet lined with parchment in the circles you drew on before. Wet your finger and tap down any peaks of dough.
Remove craquelin from freezer and using a 2 inch circular cookie cutter cut out discs to top each of your Choux doughs. (Use 1 inch circular cookie cutter if Choux is 1 inch)
Place in oven and cook at 400F for 15 minutes and then lower to 350F and continue to cook for another 18-20 minutes. DO NOT OPEN OVEN AT ANY POINT OF BAKING this will cause your Choux to deflate.
Remove from oven and poke a small vent in the side of each choux with a paring knife, this helps steam escape. Place on a cooling rack and cool completely. Repeat the cooking instructions for each batch of Choux - heating the oven back up to 400F for 15 minutes of cooking and then lowering to 350F each tray of Choux.
Assembly of Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cream Puffs:
What you need:
- Chocolate pastry cream
- Whipped cream mixed with strawberry puree, in piping bag fitted with star tip
- Choux buns
- Melted dark chocolate
- Chocolate covered strawberries for topping.
Cut the top of each cooled Choux bun off, saving each top for final assembly. Fill each with pastry cream then pipe a swirl of strawberry whipped cream. Spread a little melted chocolate on the top of the Choux bun that you cut off, place the Choux top onto the strawberry whipped cream and top with a chocolate covered strawberry.
WOW! That was a lot of steps but if you take your time and give this recipe a try you won't regret it! What an amazing way to treat yourself on Valentine's Day.
Enjoy!
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