Spiced Choux Au Craquelin Recipe

Line a small baking sheet with parchment and set a square(ish) template about 6–7 cm wide if desired. In a medium bowl, cream together 3 tbsp softened unsalted butter and 3 tbsp light brown sugar until smooth.

Add 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/4 tsp ground ginger plus 1/8 tsp salt. Mix until it forms a cohesive dough — it will be slightly crumbly but should hold when pressed.

Press dough between two sheets of parchment to 2–3 mm (about 1/8 inch) thickness, using a rolling pin. Freeze the rolled dough for at least 20 minutes (or refrigerate 1 hour) until firm but still pliable.

When ready to pipe choux, remove from freezer and punch out circles slightly smaller than your piped shells (approx. 3.5–4 cm). Keep on parchment in freezer until baking time so craquelin stays cold.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large piping bag with a 12 mm (1/2 in) plain round tip.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup water, 4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp granulated sugar. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium heat, stirring so butter melts and mixture just reaches a boil.

Remove pan from heat and immediately add 1 cup all-purpose flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball (about 30 seconds). Return to low heat and cook, stirring, for 20–30 seconds to dry the dough slightly.

Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl or stand mixer. Let cool 3–4 minutes so it is warm, not hot. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. After 4 eggs, the dough should be glossy and hold a soft peak when you lift the spoon. If too loose, add a fifth egg yolk or a tablespoon beaten egg (reserve eggs as listed). Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Pipe rounds about 4–4.5 cm (1.5–1.75 in) in diameter, spacing 3–4 cm apart. Use a damp fingertip to smooth any peaks. Gently press a frozen craquelin disc onto each piped round; if craquelin is too big, trim slightly—it should sit on top.

Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes, then lower oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 15–18 minutes more until deeply golden and puffed. Do not open oven while they puff. Remove from oven and poke a small hole in the side of each puff with a skewer to release steam; return to oven turned off for 5 minutes to dry shells. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Split the vanilla bean and scrape seeds into 2 cups whole milk (or add 1 tsp vanilla paste). Place milk and scraped pod in a saucepan and warm until just below simmering; remove from heat and let steep 10–15 minutes to infuse spices.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 egg yolks and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until pale. Whisk in 1/4 cup cornstarch until smooth and no lumps remain.

Remove vanilla pod from milk. Whisk a ladleful of warm milk into the yolk mixture to temper, then slowly pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with remaining milk, whisking constantly.

Return to medium heat and whisk continuously until mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil — about 2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom and 1/8 tsp kosher salt until smooth.

Pass the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any lumps. Press plastic wrap gently onto the surface to prevent a skin. Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours until fully cold and set.

Before filling, whip cold pastry cream briefly with a spatula to loosen. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or use a spoon.

Using a small round tip or a sharp paring knife, make two small holes in the bottom or side of each cooled choux (or cut the top off if preferred). Pipe or spoon the chilled spiced pastry cream into each shell until light and full but not overflowing.

Dust assembled puffs lightly with 2 tbsp powdered sugar and, if desired, sprinkle a little coarse sugar for extra crunch. Serve within 6 hours for best texture; store filled puffs refrigerated up to 48 hours (choux will soften over time).