Feeling extra spring-y with pastel green craquelin and edible flowers. 443: Chocolate Cream Choux Buns

Why do I keep doing this to myself? No matter how many recipes and techniques I try, my choux pastry always decides to let out a dramatic sigh and crumple as it cools. These ones got my hopes up and honestly didn’t dash them completely since they only sagged a tiny bit while maintaining a dry, crisp texture. Plus the massive amount of chocolate mascarpone cream I piped into the middle helped keep them structurally sound.

I think I’m inching closer to the ideal pastry base so my future choux buns / profiteroles / eclairs will rise to their fullest height.. and actually stay there after they leave the oven. Ever the optimist!

A tupperware of leftover chocolate mascarpone cream from Ellie’s birthday cupcakes was daring me to do something other than eat it straight with a spoon, and then I got a Sophie Bamford email about choux buns. The universe said, I gotchu!

Craquelin – the thinnest crackly sugar cookie that molds to the top of buns as they rise.

Felt a little whimsical and extra so also dumped in some edible green glitter. ✨

Rolled within a millimeter of its life and stashed into the freezer to wait for its big moment.

Pared down the recipe to just one egg and got three large buns.

Tiny recipe = wooden spoon / arm workout time.

To smooth down the little pointy hat that you get when piping choux, dip your finger in water and gently pat the top until it’s flat. It also helps to say “you’re doing a great job sweetie” as you do it.

Patiently waiting for their craquelin hats.

Hat acquired.

Happy chubby lil buns.

I managed to get no pictures of filling them, oops! I used a small round piping tip to poke a hole in the bottom of each and filled them until they felt substantially heavier. I erred on the side of caution since I only had three and didn’t want to burst any, but the gap on the sides when I cut in showed that they could’ve used another tablespoon or two.

Nathan got me kitchen tweezers so I can chef it up with decorations! Cue me using them to pick up anything and everything on the counter.

Essentially a decadent donut.

Happy munching!

Choux recipe from: Sophie Bamford’s substack All Day Cake