Matcha Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)
Sweet and crunchy cookie choux puffs, aka choux au craquelin, filled with light and creamy matcha custard
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 65 g Brown sugar (1/3 cup)
- 65 g Plain flour (1/2 cup)
- 65 g Unsalted butter, softened (1/3 cup)
- 50 g Milk (3 tbsp 1 tsp)
- 50 g Water (3 tbsp 1 tsp)
- 45 g Unsalted butter (3 tbsp 1 tsp)
- a pinch salt
- a pinch sugar
- 55 g Plain flour (1/3 cup 4 tsp)
- 100 g Beaten egg, approx 2 eggs
- 30 g Egg yolk, approx 2 egg yolks
- 60 g Sugar (4 tbsp 2 tsp)
- 25 g Cornflour (3 tbsp 1 tsp)
- 1 tbsp Matcha powder
- 200 g Milk (3/4 cup 4 tsp)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 25 g Butter (2 tbsp)
- 200 g Thickened/Heavy cream (3/4 cup 2 tsp)
- Creme Patissiere, prepared and cooled
Instructions
- 1
Combine brown sugar, flour and butter in a mixing bowl
- 2
Rub the butter into the flour and sugar using your fingertips
- 3
Place between two sheets of baking paper and roll out to 4mm in thickness
- 4
Freeze
- 5
Cut into 4cm or 1 1/2″ inch round discs and reserve in freezer until ready for use
- 6
Preheat the oven to 230°C
- 7
Heat milk, water, butter, salt and sugar in a small aluminium saucepan
- 8
When it starts to boil remove from heat and add the flour in one go, mixing vigorously until smooth
- 9
Return to heat and flatten the dough to the bottom of the pan, listening for crackling of the dough without mixing
- 10
Give the pan a shake and when you notice a thin film on the bottom of the pan the dough is sufficiently dry
- 11
Mix the dough and remove from heat
- 12
Using a wooden spoon/spatula beat the dough to let steam evaporate and then cool for 10 minutes
- 13
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)
- 14
Pipe small 3.5cm or 1 1/3″ round mounds on a lined baking sheet
- 15
Top with a disc of frozen craquelin
- 16
Turn down the oven temperature to 160°C and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown
- 17
Remove from oven and poke a hole in the bottom of each puff to release steam
- 18
Cool on a wire rack
- 19
Heat milk until just boiling in a small saucepan
- 20
Meanwhile, in a medium sized mixing bowl combine egg yolks and sugar, whisking until doubled in volume
- 21
Sift in the cornflour and matcha powder, mix until combined
- 22
Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth
- 23
Return the mixture to heat and whisk constantly until thick
- 24
Remove from heat and add butter
- 25
Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the surface of the pastry cream
- 26
Cool in fridge until use
- 27
Whisk the cream until medium stiff peaks are reached
- 28
Add the cooled creme patissiere and whisk until stiff peaks are reached
- 29
Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip
- 30
Reserve in fridge until use
- 31
Using a sharp knife, cut the tops of the choux puffs off
- 32
Fill with diplomat cream and top with a swirl
- 33
Place the top of the choux puff on top of the swirl and sprinkle a little icing sugar and matcha powder
- 34
Repeat until all puffs are filled
- 35
Store in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2 days of filling