Sweet and crunchy cookie choux puffs, aka choux au craquelin, filled with light and creamy matcha custard
Author:Catherine Zhang
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Total Time:1 hour
Yield:12 1x
Category:Pastry
Method:Intermediate
Cuisine:Japanese
Ingredients
Scale
Craquelin
65 g Brown sugar (1/3 cup)
65 g Plain flour (1/2 cup)
65 g Unsalted butter, softened (1/3 cup)
Choux Pastry
50 g Milk (3 tbsp1 tsp)
50 g Water (3 tbsp1 tsp)
45g Unsalted butter (3 tbsp1 tsp)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
55 g Plain flour (1/3 cup4 tsp)
100 g Beaten egg, approx 2 eggs
Creme Patissiere
30 g Egg yolk, approx 2 egg yolks
60 g Sugar (4 tbsp2 tsp)
25 g Cornflour (3 tbsp1 tsp)
1 tbsp Matcha powder
200 g Milk (3/4 cup4 tsp)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
25 g Butter (2 tbsp)
Diplomat Cream
200 g Thickened/Heavy cream (3/4 cup2 tsp)
Creme Patissiere, prepared and cooled
Instructions
Craquelin
Combine brown sugar, flour and butter in a mixing bowl
Rub the butter into the flour and sugar using your fingertips
Place between two sheets of baking paper and roll out to 4mm in thickness
Freeze
Cut into 4cm or 1 1/2" inch round discs and reserve in freezer until ready for use
Choux Pastry
Preheat the oven to 230°C
Heat milk, water, butter, salt and sugar in a small aluminium saucepan
When it starts to boil remove from heat and add the flour in one go, mixing vigorously until smooth
Return to heat and flatten the dough to the bottom of the pan, listening for crackling of the dough without mixing
Give the pan a shake and when you notice a thin film on the bottom of the pan the dough is sufficiently dry
Mix the dough and remove from heat
Using a wooden spoon/spatula beat the dough to let steam evaporate and then cool for 10 minutes
Slowly add the beaten egg and combine until the dough is smooth, but still holds structure (the batter will form a 'V' or a 'beak' on the spoon/spatula when lifted)
Pipe small 3.5cm or 1 1/3" round mounds on a lined baking sheet
Top with a disc of frozen craquelin
Turn down the oven temperature to 160°C and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown
Remove from oven and poke a hole in the bottom of each puff to release steam
Cool on a wire rack
Creme Patissiere
Heat milk until just boiling in a small saucepan
Meanwhile, in a medium sized mixing bowl combine egg yolks and sugar, whisking until doubled in volume
Sift in the cornflour and matcha powder, mix until combined
Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth
Return the mixture to heat and whisk constantly until thick
Remove from heat and add butter
Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the surface of the pastry cream
Cool in fridge until use
Diplomat cream
Whisk the cream until medium stiff peaks are reached
Add the cooled creme patissiere and whisk until stiff peaks are reached
Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip
Reserve in fridge until use
Assembly
Using a sharp knife, cut the tops of the choux puffs off
Fill with diplomat cream and top with a swirl
Place the top of the choux puff on top of the swirl and sprinkle a little icing sugar and matcha powder
Repeat until all puffs are filled
Store in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2 days of filling