Chocolate-Hazelnut Choux au Craquelin

Mar 21

Mar 21 Chocolate-Hazelnut Choux au Craquelin

Cream puffs with a chocolate cookie topping and filled with a decadent Nutella pastry cream. A friend sent this customized recipe – made just for me! – by one of my favorite cookbook authors Erin McDowell for Christmas. Such a cool gift, no? My birthday was this past weekend so it seemed like a good excuse to try them out. And they are beyond amazing. Crispy, creamy, chocolatey... all the best things.

It had be a minute since I made choux, so I watched Erin’s video on Food52.com which was incredibly helpful and obviously successful…look at those poofy puffs! Absolutely recommend watching if it’s been a while for you too or you’re new to choux. Also, I think “New to Choux” might need to be the name of my first hit single if I ever write one.

Chocolate cream puffs sitting on a cake stand — Photos by Daniel Marks

Chocolate-Hazelnut Choux au Craquelin Recipe:

There are three components to the recipe. The choux pastry, the craquelin or “cookie” topping and the pastry cream filling. The "custom" part of my recipe was the Nutella pastry cream (recipe below), which I ended up modifying slightly to make it easier to pipe and hold that shape you see in the photo. Otherwise the choux recipe and helpful video are all available on Food52.com. I would suggest making the pastry cream before you start the cookie topping or choux dough so it has time to completely chill. A day ahead works too.

Nutella Pastry Cream Recipe:

by Erin McDowell, adapted by me

Ingredients:

1 cup (235 grams) whole milk
½ cup (120 grams) heavy cream
½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
30 grams cornstarch
6 large egg yolks, room temperature
½ cup (150 grams) Nutella
Pinch of salt
3 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature

Instructions:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, heat the milk, cream, ¼ cup (50 grams) of the sugar, and the vanilla. Stir a few times while the mixture comes to a simmer.

2. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup (50 grams) of the sugar to combine. Add the egg yolks and whisk well to combine. Once the milk mixture is simmering, pour about ½ of the milk mixture into the yolk mixture and whisk well to combine.

3. Gradually add the egg mixture back to the pot, whisking well as you combine. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken. Switch to a silicone spatula and continue stirring, scraping the bottom of the pot as you go, until large bubbles break the surface of the custard.

4. Remove the pot from the heat. Whisk in the Nutella spread and salt. Whisk in the butter 1 TBSP at a time, Strain the pastry cream into a medium bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the top to avoid a skin forming. Chill until cool. This can be made one day ahead.