Craquelin Recipe
You won't believe how easy it is to make craquelin! It's a secret trick from bakeries to give cream puffs a crunchy cookie topping. Sounds fancy, right? But it's super simple, just simple ingredients and few minutes to prep. It's like a secret weapon for your baking, and it took me years to figure out what it was called! Craquelin isn't just tasty, it also stops your cream puffs from going mushy too quickly. It's a win-win addition to your baking game!
Equipment
- Mixer
- Parchment paper or a slipmat
- Rolling Pin
- Circle cookie cutters
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp Softened unsalted butter
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- ¾ cup All-purpose flour
- Some choux pastry
Instructions
- Attach the paddle to your standing mixer.
- Toss in the softened butter and mix until it's light and fluffy.
- Add in the brown sugar and flour, then cream them all together until everything's combined nicely. You'll see it form a ball in the middle of the bowl.
- Get a big piece of parchment paper and sprinkle some flour on it.
- Roll out your mix on the parchment paper until it's about ¼ inch thick.
- Pop it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- When you're ready to whip up your cream puffs, use the circle cookie cutter to cut out some circles from your craquelin dough. Then, place them on top of your pate a choux (that's your cream puff dough). If it's too hard to cut, just let it thaw for a minute or two.
- Now, follow your usual instructions for baking your cream puffs.
- Ta-da! You've got yourself some cream puffs with a delightful crunchy cookie topping.
Notes
- Roll the dough until it's about ¼ inch thick, and then pop it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This step ensures that your craquelin turns out perfectly crunchy.
- Rolling the dough out on parchment or wax paper makes it easy to transfer it to a pan for freezing. It saves you from any sticky situations!
- The dough tends to soften pretty quickly, especially when you're cutting out the circles. If it gets too soft, just pop it back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up again.
- Planning to make your craquelin ahead of time? No worries! Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before storing it in the freezer or fridge. This prevents it from picking up any unwanted flavors.