The Great British Baking Show has a very special and tender place in my heart. When my mom was coming to the end of her life and wasn’t able to communicate anymore, we would snuggle together on the couch, hold hands and watch the baking unfold. The relaxed, non-stressful and overall lovely nature of the show was exactly what the doctor ordered. When a new season comes out, I always watch it and think of her.
Watching the show is not only entertaining but inspiring, too. The competitors, who are not even professional bakers, create some of the most incredible and creative breads, desserts and pastries you can imagine. And even under the most stressful of challenges, they are really just one big family rooting for each other and lending a helping hand when needed.
One dessert that I have seen the bakers make time and time again that I have always wanted to try is a cream puff that has a craquelin topping. Picture a cream puff that’s covered with a crunchy and crisp topping that looks crackled. I would never attempt 99% of the desserts they make on the show because they are so complicated, but this one seemed doable. And it was! I was so happy with the appearance, texture and flavor and would definitely make them again.
The first step is to make the craquelin topping, which is only a few ingredients.
Cream together brown sugar and butter until smooth.
Add flour and food coloring or gel of choice (I used red) and mix.
I got a bit nervous during this step because my flour was not incorporating into the butter and sugar, but the recipe gives a tip to use your hands to gently knead everything together if it’s too crumbly. This worked like a charm, and I didn’t have any issues after that. A tip about the food coloring: make sure you add enough so the craquelin dough is a vibrant color; otherwise, the topping will look dull.
Working between two pieces of parchment, roll the craquelin dough until it’s 1/8-inch thin.
Remove the top piece of parchment, and using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out 16 circles. Transfer the parchment paper with the circles to a sheet tray and chill in the fridge.
While the craquelin topping is chilling, prepare your puffs. The dough we make for the puffs is called Pâte à Choux or Choux Pastry. Choux translates to cabbage in French, and the baked puffs look like little cabbages. It’s an interesting dough in that it’s prepared in a saucepan to start.
Bring water, sugar, salt and butter to a boil and then add the flour all at once and stir to combine.
Cook the mixture while stirring over low heat for 2 to minutes to develop the gluten, and then transfer the dough to a bowl.
Use a handheld mixer on low speed to cool the dough down a bit, and then add the eggs one at a time until each one is thoroughly incorporated.
As you’re adding the eggs, the mixture will start to look like it’s separating, but have faith! I promise it will all come together. This dough is very versatile and can be used to make eclairs, profiteroles, French crullers, churros and even savory cheese gougères.
It’s traditional to pipe the dough onto your parchment-lined sheet tray, but I always use a small portion scoop. You want to ensure the size of your scooped dough is a tad smaller than your craquelin circles. I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon size scoop, which worked well.
Once all of your dough has been scooped, top each one with a craquelin hat.
Using an offset spatula, remove the chilled craquelin circle from the sheet tray, gently place it on top of the scooped dough and ever so slightly press it down so it stays centered and doesn’t tilt to one side.
Bake according to the recipe, rotating the tray half way through. I was so excited when I finally opened the oven (I was a bit nervous), because the results where what I was hoping for. They were so beautiful and the craquelin behaved exactly as it should!
While the puffs cool, make your filling. I made a simple Chantilly cream by whipping together heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste. But Pastry Cream is also a delicious filling. Or you can make a Diplomat cream, which is when you fold whipped cream into your chilled pastry cream. The best of both worlds!
You can fill the puff a couple different ways.
Option #1:
Using a serrated knife, cut the puff in half.
Place your whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe the cream on the bottom half.
Top with a few raspberries and sandwich with the top.
Option #2:
Using a paring knife, poke the underside of the puff, insert the star tip in the opening and pipe until the puff is full of cream. I folded a dice of strawberry into my cream for this option.
Craquelin Cream Puffs with Raspberries
Yield: About 16 puffs using a 1 1/2 tablespoon (.65 ounce) scoop
Prep time: 35 minutes
Bake time: 40 minutes
Start to finish: 1 hour, 45 minutes
For the craquelin:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of fine sea salt
Red gel food coloring
For the pâte à choux:
2/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
For the filling:
3 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 1/2 cups raspberries
- To make the craquelin, combine the butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour, salt, and 2 to 3 drops of red gel food coloring and mix until combined. If the dough does not come together on its own, use your hands to knead it together briefly. Note: Make sure the craquelin dough is vibrant in color, so add another drop or two of coloring if necessary.
- Place the dough between two quarter-sheet size pieces of parchment paper and roll until it is 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut at least 16 circles into the dough, but do not remove them. Transfer the parchment to a sheet tray and chill until fully set, about 20 minutes. While the craquelin chills, prepare the pâte à choux.
- Preheat the oven to 400° and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine the water, salt, sugar and butter. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
- Add the flour all at once, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour is smoothly incorporated. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 additional minutes until a film forms on the bottom of the pot.
- Transfer the hot dough to a bowl and beat for 1 minute with an electric mixer to cool slightly. Add the eggs one at a time, completely incorporating each one before adding the next.
- Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon (.65 ounce) portion scoop (rust/copper color), place 16 mounds of dough on the prepared tray. Top each portion of pâte à choux with a chilled round of the craquelin dough.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325° and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool to room temperature before filling.
- While the baked puffs are cooling, prepare the whipped cream filling. Combine the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla bean paste in a large bowl and whip to medium peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Slice each puff in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Fill the bottom each puff with a swirl of whipped cream and raspberries and then replace the top. Serve immediately after filling.
Note:
Baked, unfilled choux can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, or frozen prior to filling. To recrisp unfilled pastries, bake them for 10 minutes at 350° and then cool again before filling.
To say that this dessert was delicious is an understatement. It was one of the best treats I have had in a while because it had it all! Great texture from the craquelin and baked puff, not overly sweet, smooth and silky whipped cream, and the cool and juicy fresh fruit made this irresistible. I wonder if Paul Hollywood would give me a handshake for this one?!
We are offering some great baking classes to satisfy your sweet tooth this month, so grab your seat before they’re gone!
- How to Bake Bread: Saturday, February 8 at 11am this Saturday!
- French Macaron: Friday, February 14 at 11am
- Chocolate Boot Camp: Saturday, February 15 at 10am (only 2 spots left!) and Saturday, April 19 at 10am
Craquelin Cream Puffs with Raspberries
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Red gel food coloring
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups heavy cream, chilled
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 1/2 cups raspberries
Instructions
- To make the craquelin, combine the butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour, salt, and 2 to 3 drops of red gel food coloring and mix until combined. If the dough does not come together on its own, use your hands to knead it together briefly. Note: Make sure the craquelin dough is vibrant in color, so add another drop or two of coloring if necessary.
- Place the dough between two quarter-sheet size pieces of parchment paper and roll until it is 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut at least 16 circles into the dough, but do not remove them. Transfer the parchment to a sheet tray and chill until fully set, about 20 minutes. While the craquelin chills, prepare the pâte à choux.
- Preheat the oven to 400° and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine the water, salt, sugar and butter. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
- Add the flour all at once, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour is smoothly incorporated. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 additional minutes until a film forms on the bottom of the pot.
- Transfer the hot dough to a bowl and beat for 1 minute with an electric mixer to cool slightly. Add the eggs one at a time, completely incorporating each one before adding the next.
- Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon (.65 ounce) portion scoop (rust/copper color), place 16 mounds of dough on the prepared tray. Top each portion of pâte à choux with a chilled round of the craquelin dough.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325° and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool to room temperature before filling.
- While the baked puffs are cooling, prepare the whipped cream filling. Combine the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla bean paste in a large bowl and whip to medium peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Slice each puff in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Fill the bottom each puff with a swirl of whipped cream and raspberries and then replace the top. Serve immediately after filling.
