Buttery choux pastry topped with a sweet, crunchy cookie crust and filled with a melt-in-your-mouth light, creamy and airy salted caramel filling – Choux au Craquelin with Salted Caramel Cream is as delicious and fancy as it sounds!
Airy, creamy and crisp Choux au Craquelin with Salted Caramel Cream.
Now that I’ve shared with you how to make choux pastry for perfect profiteroles as well as perfect classic eclairs, let’s take it up another notch!
Craquelin topped Salted Caramel Choux Pastry (or Choux au Craquelin with Salted Caramel Filling) is as delicious and fancy as it sounds! It’s only a little step up from classic profiteroles. But my goal with my series of detailed choux pastry, profiteroles and classic eclair posts is to help you perfect these impressive and decadent desserts as well! 🙂
If you’re brand new to choux pastry, then I’d suggest the following in terms of experience level. This is just a suggestion however, and these are all really easy to make once you get the hang of it. I’m hoping my foolproof recipes will help you master each of these with ease!
All levels – Basic guide for making choux pastry + troubleshooting tips.
For beginners – How to make perfect profiteroles.
Intermediate – How to make perfect classic eclairs.
Advanced – How to make choux au craquelin (this post).
The first time I made choux au craquelin was several years ago. I ate them a few years before, and found them to be so thoroughly addictive, so, I wanted to make my own. That lovely, crackly top takes these cream puffs to a whole new level. And to make these delicious, crunchy choux buns even more luxurious, I filled them with a light and creamy salted caramel filling!
What is choux au craquelin?
Choux au craquelin is a dessert made with choux pastry, and topped with a thin cookie disc called craquelin. The craquelin is made with a mix of butter, sugar and flour – just like pie or shortcrust pastry. In contrast to regular choux pastry buns, craquelin adds a layer of sweetness and makes the cream puff delightfully crunchy.
As the choux pastry bakes and expands, the cookie disc (craquelin) bakes and forms a sweet, crisp, crackly crust on top, enveloping the top of the cream puff.
Can I use different craquelin variations?
While classic craquelin is made with butter, sugar and flour, there are plenty of different variations that you can experiment with. For this choux au craquelin with salted caramel recipe, I used brown sugar for its molassy flavor, and also because the light brown color stands out more on the choux pastry shell. You can use plain white sugar, if you don’t have brown sugar if you want.
Plus, the craquelin helps keep the cream puff crisp for longer, even when it’s filled with a filling.
How do you make the craquelin?
It’s super simple to make the craquelin. The craquelin is like a delicious, crispy cookie on top of the choux pastry buns, and a fantastic way to decorate the cream puffs.
The dough for this craquelin only has 3 ingredients. First of all, mix the ingredients to form a dough. Secondly, just roll out the dough till it’s nice and thin. Here’s my secret trick to rolling out the dough – I use a ziploc bag and roll out the dough inside it. Less messy, and keeps the dough from sticking everywhere. Plus, it’s easy to store it in the freezer for later too.
If you don’t have ziploc bags, you can roll them out in between two parchment papers to avoid the craquelin from sticking to your rolling pin.
Once the dough frozen, you’re finally ready for the final step. Smaller pastry discs need to be cut out from the frozen dough. Because the dough is frozen, it’s easier to cut out discs from it to top the choux pastry. You can store the craquelin cookie discs in the freezer for later use.
Choux pastry basics
Please read my detailed perfect choux pastry post to understand the basics of choux pastry, as well as to troubleshoot any pitfalls.
For this craquelin choux recipe, you need to pipe out choux pastry that’s about 2 inches in diameter, to match the craquelin disc that’s also about 2 inches in diameter. And be extra mindful when you’re piping the choux, as the pastry bag and tip need to be held upright. This is because if you pipe it at an angle, the choux will rise at an angle as well. This will make the craquelin on top lopsided. Also, you don’t have to flatten the tip of your piped choux pastry, because you’ll be placing the craquelin on top instead (as shown below).
Two inch choux pastries will give you choux au craquelin that’s about 2.5 – 3 inches in diameter.
If you want smaller craquelin choux pastries, then pipe smaller pastry mounds (about 1.5 inches in diameter), and top them with 1.5 inch craquelin discs. These pastries will end up baking into cases that are between 2 – 2.5 inches in width.
Salted caramel diplomat cream filling
I find this salted caramel diplomat cream absolutely addictive!
First, I make a dry caramel and dissolve the caramelized sugar in a little liquid. Next, I mix this with more milk, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla and sea salt to make luscious, creamy salted caramel filling.
Once the pastry cream is completely cooled down, it’s mixed with stabilized chantilly cream. Stabilized chantilly cream is simply cream that’s whipped to soft peaks, with a little sugar, vanilla and gelatin.
The chantilly cream lightens the salted caramel pastry cream, and makes for an amazingly melt-in-your-mouth, light filling.
Chantilly cream
Can I fill these craquelin choux pastries with pastry cream instead?
While you can fill these craquelin choux pastries with salted caramel pastry cream, the pastries are quite large (about 2.5 inches in width). This means filling them all the way with pastry cream would make the cream puffs quite heavy.
This diplomat cream on the other hand is lightened with whipped cream, resulting in a light, fluffy salted caramel filling that is less sweet and has a better mouthfeel. And overall it works better in these pastries.
Why add gelatin to the chantilly cream?
The gelatin acts as a stabilizer for the whipped cream, and in turn acts as a stabilizer for the diplomat cream as well. The filling stays fluffy and creamy, and doesn’t weep or split into liquid. This is really important to keep the choux au craquelin nice and crisp.
Can I make this salted caramel choux pastry ahead of time?
You can make choux pastry cases ahead of time easily. However, keep them unfilled and freeze the unfilled cases in an air-tight container for later. Then allow the pastries to thaw to room temperature before using.
I do prefer to reheat thawed pastry cases slightly in the oven before filling them, to make them crisp again, because freezing can make the craquelin choux cases a little stale. This step is optional however.
You can make the salted caramel diplomat cream up to 4 days ahead of time, so long as you keep it in an air-tight container in the fridge (not freezer).
If you have leftover choux au craquelin with salted caramel cream, you can freeze them for a day or two as well. And when you’re ready to eat them again, just make sure to thaw them out at room temp. for about 30-60 minutes.
Buttery choux pastry topped with a sweet, crunchy, crackly topping and filled with a not too sweet, melt-in-your-mouth light, creamy, airy salted caramel filling. These craquelin choux pastries are absolutely addictive and look really impressive too!
If you liked this Choux au Craquelin with salted caramel recipe (salted caramel choux pastry recipe), don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address in the subscription box below the recipe card (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
Other recipes you may like to check out
EQUIPMENT I USED FOR THIS RECIPE
Circle cutters for the cookie discs on top
Piping bags – 16 inch piping bags for the choux pastry dough
Large round pastry tip – to pipe the pastry cases. Wilton 1A is about 1/2 inch wide. OR you can get Ateco #Plain 809 which is a little larger than 1/2 inch.
Whisks – A good set of whisks is a must for all of your baking needs.
Hand mixer or Stand Mixer – I currently use KitchenAid
2 x Silpat baking mats (optional) – You can use parchment paper instead too.
2 x Half Sheet pans – Having two makes it easier to bake the craquelin choux pastry. While one is baking, the other tray can cool down and be ready to pipe dough on, and then bake as soon as the other tray is out.
Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Craquelin Choux Pastry with Salted Caramel Cream
What You Need:
- See post for detailed list of equipment needed.
Ingredients:
Craquelin (makes enough for 1 ½ batches, so you can freeze the extra for later)
- 4 oz unsalted butter (1 stick)
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 4.5 oz light brown sugar about 2/3 cup
- 4.5 oz AP flour about 1 cup + 1 tbsp
Salted Caramel Diplomat Cream
Salted Caramel Pastry Cream
- 150 g white sugar ¾ cup
- ½ tsp kosher salt or sea salt
- ½ cup warm cream see notes
- 2 cups of milk
- 3 tbsp cornstarch cornflour
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg please see recipe notes
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter softened
Stabilized Chantilly Cream
- 1 tsp gelatin powder
- 2 tbsp water at room temperature
- 1 cup of whipping cream chilled
- ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Choux Pastry
- 1 batch Choux pastry baking directions below.
Instructions:
Craquelin (makes enough for 1 ½ batches, so you can freeze the extra for later)
- Place the butter, salt and sugar in a bowl and cream the ingredients together until creamy and fluffy.
- Add the flour and mix until the mixture looks crumbly. Using your hands, bring the crumbly bits of dough together to form a dough.
- Split the dough into two equal sized portions, and place each portion inside a 12 x 12 inch ziploc bag. Roll out each piece inside the ziploc bag until it’s about 2 - 3 mm thick. Remove excess air in the ziploc bag and close it. Place both ziploc bags on a flat tray and keep them in the freezer overnight (OR until completely frozen).
Salted Caramel Diplomat Cream
Salted Caramel Pastry Cream (Custard)
- MAKING THE CARAMEL - Sprinkle the sugar over the surface of a stainless steel pan or non-stick pan. Make sure the sugar is sprinkled in a thin layer so that it's easier for it to caramelize, and also make sure there's no water in the pan and on utensils.
- Heat over medium heat, taking care not to introduce water into the sugar. Stir the sugar as it melts with a heat-proof spatula. The sugar will stick to the spatula, but because it’s non-stick, it'll come off easily too.
- Continue heating the sugar, while stirring frequently, until the sugar turns into caramel (a golden to amber color) (Please be careful NOT to touch the sugar or the pan as they will be very hot at this point!).
- When the color is amber, add the ½ cup of warm cream into the pan. PLEASE STAND BACK AS YOU ADD THE CREAM AT THIS STAGE, because the pan is extremely hot and you don't want splash back. Stir soon after adding the cream, to dissolve the sugar. This will take a few minutes.
- When the caramel has mostly dissolved in the cream, add the rest of the milk, salt, and vanilla into the pan. Heat the milk until it’s nearly boiling, while stirring, to dissolve the rest of the sugar. Now you have a caramel flavored milk base for the custard.
- While the caramel milk is heating (to dissolve all the caramel), in a separate bowl or small jug, add the eggs and cornstarch (cornflour), and whisk until you have a smooth mixture.
- Temper the egg mixture by adding a little of the hot caramel milk in a slow and steady stream, while whisking the eggs constantly. After adding enough caramel milk to warm up the mixture, pour the egg-milk mixture back into the pan with the rest of the caramel milk.
- Heat the egg-caramel milk mixture while whisking/stirring constantly, until the milk starts to thicken. Stir well to make sure the eggs don’t curdle and stick to the bottom of the pan as the custard heats and thickens. I like to switch between a whisk and a spatula to make sure the custard stays smooth while it’s thickening.
- Stir the custard until it comes to a boil (the first big bubble to breakthrough the surface from the custard). When the custard starts to boil, remove it from the heat. If there are clumps, pass the custard through a fine sieve to remove them.
- Add the butter to the hot custard and mix until the butter has incorporated into it. Pour the custard into a bowl, and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the whole surface of the custard.
- Allow the custard to cool down to room temperature, then store it in the fridge for a few hours until chilled, and it's ready to be mixed with the cream.
Stabilized Chantilly Cream
- Place the water in a small microwave-proof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water. Allow the gelatin to bloom for about 10 minutes.
- After the gelatin has bloomed, microwave the gelatin for about 10 - 20 seconds to dissolve the gelatin.
- Place the chilled cream in a clean bowl and add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla extract. Start whisking the cream with a hand mixer at medium-high speed. Pour in the dissolved gelatin while whisking the cream to ensure the gelatin gets mixed in well. Continue whisking until the cream forms soft peaks. Keep in the fridge, covered, until ready to use.
Salted Caramel Diplomat Cream
- Place about 2 cups of the salted caramel pastry cream in a large bowl. Add the chantilly cream and fold it into the pastry cream.
- If you'd like more salted caramel flavor, then fold in the rest of the pastry cream as well. Keep covered in the fridge until you’re ready to fill the choux pastries. When you're ready to fill the cream puffs, transfer the diplomat cream into a pastry bag, that's attached with a small round tip.
Choux Pastry
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking trays with parchment paper or silpat.
- Take out the craquelin discs and place them on a smooth cutting board. Using a two inch cookie cutter, cut out 2 inch circles from the craquelin (about 22- 24 circles). Keep them on a non-stick surface (parchment paper or silpat), and in the freezer until needed.
- Make 1 batch of choux pastry dough according to this recipe and place the dough in a pastry bag, which is attached with either a ½ inch round tip or ½ inch French star tip.
- Pipe choux pastry mounds on the silpat (about 2 inches in diameter). Keep the tip upright and pipe out smooth mounds (piping tip touching the dough surface while you pipe). Gently twist and remove the tip when you're done.
- Carefully place a disc of craquelin on top and gently press it into the choux to make sure it sticks and is stable. (I piped about 12 choux buns on one half sheet pan).
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Do not open the door before the 30 minutes, to prevent the pastries from collapsing.
- After 30 minutes, open the oven door and partially pull out the baking tray. Quickly (but gently), prick each pastry with a sharp toothpick to release any steam inside the pastries. Return the tray back to the oven and bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes, until the pastries are a little darker in color.
- Remove the choux pastries from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes in a draft-free place.
Salted caramel craquelin choux pastry
- Using a round or star tip, cut out a hole in the bottom of each of the cooled choux pastry cases.
- Fill the choux pastries with the salted caramel diplomat cream. Optional step - lightly dust the choux au craquelin with confectioner's sugar. Serve immediately.
Annette says
Hi, been loving your recipes. I always have issues with the whole cream gelatin thing. Can I hear the cream, add melted gelatin and then let it cool before whipping?
Dini says
Hi Annette
Unfortunately this probably won’t work. The cream will gelatanize as it cools down and it may not whip properly.
Once you have heated the gelatin, temper the mixture with about 1 tbsp of cream just before adding it to the cold cream. The trick is to run the mixer on high, and then pour all the gelatin at once at the point where the cream is moving the fastest, but without touching the beaters.
Hope that helps!
LauraLee says
How long can the craquelin dough be frozen before using?
Dini says
Hi LauraLee
If the dough is frozen properly to prevent freezer burn, it can be stored in the freezer for at least 3 months.
Hope that helps!
Abby says
I made this recipe for Christmas Eve dessert and it was a total winner. Thanks so much for writing up such a thorough recipe! They ended up perfect!
Amia Miller says
I’ve made this twice now, and it is my new go to recipe! My family love it and everyone’s requested some for them to take home after Christmas!
Jennifer says
Hi Dini,
I tried making the stabilized cream but failed twice because it curdled. At first I use the hand mixer, and it curdled. Then I decided to hand mix it myself, but then it curdled again. The cream itself didn’t pass the soft peak, but when it started to thickening, it immediately break. I put the sugar and vanilla at the beginning, mixed it till it dissolve then pour the gelatin mixture. How can I fix this problem? Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Jennifer
Usually the whipped cream curdles if it’s been whipped too much, or if the cream wasn’t cold.
But it sounds like in your case, that the gelatin clumped up before being mixed in, creating a lumpy cream?
I don’t recommend whisking the gelatin into the cream by hand. The gelatin mixture must be added while the cream is being whipped on high speed, in the vicinity of the beaters, while moving it around as well. The goal is to get the gelatin mixed in as fast as possible, all throughout the cream.
I hope that helps!
Jackilyn Fernando says
It’s absolutely great! From the description, list of ingredients, process,to tips and ideas are elaborated clearly. Thank you so much for this one
jy says
hey! what can i do with the leftover pastry cream? 🙂
Dini says
Hi JY
I usually place them in individual cups and enjoy them as a lightened caramel mousse just on their own. We cover the cups with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge for upto 5 days.
But you can also use them as a filling for crepes, in the middle of puff pastry cases as mini desserts or serve them with berries instead of whipped cream.
Elizabeth Shepardson says
I have been searching Yay
Rehana says
Loved this recipe
Sarah says
Hi! I am planning to make a matcha version of this recipe. May I know how to adjust the craquelin recipe and the pastry cream portion as well? I’m thinking of making a matcha pastry cream to go along with it as well. Thank you so much!
Nina says
Hello! I tried adding gelatin powder to the whipped cream, but the cream somehow deflated even after it was able to form soft peaks already. Before adding the gelatin, I tempered it with a portion of the whipped cream even. Hoping you could help me out because runny whipped cream is just sad.
Dini says
Hi Nina
Unfortunately I have never encountered this problem with my whipped cream.
I usually add the dissolved gelatin right at the start of the whipping process and then whisk until the cream is at peaks (as I have done so in this recipe)
merr says
I am trying to make this in a smaller size. If so, would the baking time be reduced? Also do you use AP for this recipe? I recalled the choux recipe says that for craquelin we might wanna use pastry flour. Thank you so much!
Dini says
Hi Merr
The baking time will change according to the size of the piped choux pastries.
I also do use AP flour, because I prefer the structure it provides. I do talk about cake flour / pastry flour as an alternative in my choux pastry post, but I still prefer AP flour.
I hope that helps!
Svetla says
Hello, I tried to make the diplomat cream yesterday but it never thickened, even after hours in the fridge was too runny. I was wondering if I misunderstood the cream/milk notes. I used 1/2 cup of cream initially for the caramel base and then added 2 cups of milk. Is that the right amount or it is 2 cups in total – 1/2 cup of cream and 1 and 1/2 cups of milk? Or maybe I needed more cornstarch? Would love to make it again but want to make sure I got the instructions right.
Dini says
Hi Svetla
This should form a pretty thick pastry cream. You also got the cream and milk quantities right as well (1/2 cup cream + 2 cups milk). You also need to use 3 tbsp of cornstarch as well. Cornstarch only activates once the mixture is boiled, so you have to stir and whisk the mixture frequently and will start to thicken. Once the mixture starts to boil, the cornstarch has activated properly. Did you bring the custard to a boil?
I’m not sure why the mixture didn’t thicken for you if you did boil the mixture. You can also try to add 6 yolks instead of using 3 yolks and 1 egg which will help thicken it more, but the cornstarch should be sufficient.
I hope it works better the next time you try this recipe!
Svetla says
Thanks a lot for answering, Dini! Actually, maybe the problem was the boiling, because I was so careful to remove the mixture right after the first boiling signs.
I will try it again, thanks:)
Lou says
I have the same issue as well. It’s quite runny. When you bite into the pastry, the filling just flows out like runny, not watery but it doesn’t hold its shape that well when you cut the pastry in half.
Also when cooking the custard, it doesn’t come to boil in 1 or 2 minutes, it takes forever on my stove. Wondering if that will have any effect on the thickness? And it never had any big bubble that pop, just those small bubbles.
I use an induction stove if that makes any difference?
Thanks so much for your input in this.
Yesi Effendi says
I’m glad found this recipe
Rose says
Yum!! Can I use salted caramel diplomat cream as a doughnut filling?
Dini says
Hi Rose!
Absolutely! And I have done so myself 🙂
Didi says
It is hard to fins gelatin powder where I’m from. Any substitutes? Or can I don’t make the Stabilized Chantilly Cream altogether. Will the Pastry cream be enough?
Dini says
Hi Didi
You can use agar powder as well, but make sure the agar reaches a boiling point before adding it because boiling activates its gelling properties.
You can also use whipped cream without gelatin, but make sure you whisk it at a lower speed (which will take longer). But the cream may split the longer it’s kept.
The pastry cream alone may not be enough to fill all the choux pastry that you make here. However it can be used as a filling on it’s own, though it will be heavier and richer than diplomat cream.
I hope that helps!
hibah says
hi! how many cups of creme diplomat does this make? and do the cream puffs use up all of it? im trying to figure out how much filling id need (in cups) if im making about 160 cream puffs!
Dini says
Hi Hibah
I can’t recall how many cups of creme diplomat this recipe made, but I did use almost all of it for the choux pastries.
How much creme diplomat you will use depends on the size of the pastries as well. So, if I’m making smaller pastries I like to err on the side of caution and prefer to make extra filling (better than running out).
For 160, you will have to at least multiply this recipe by 7.3
I hope that helps
Lou says
Hi. When I combined the whipped cream and custard together, they look curdled. The custard was smooth before I add the whipped cream and whipped cream was beat till soft peak. Is there a reason why the final product would curdle?
Dini says
Hi Lou
This can happen if the whipped cream was overworked when it was being folded into the pastry cream. When whipped cream is overworked, it splits, and looks curdled.
You can try to add a little chilled whipping cream and fold that in gently to see if it can fix it. It usually does when I add whipping cream to overworked whipped cream.
I hope that helps
Lou says
Oooh that means I was past the soft peaks already then. Ok thanks so much!
Louise says
Hello Dini,
I made these again, and the consistency of the dough is correct. However, upon placing the cookie dough, the choux pastry got a bit flat. Is there such a thing that the cookie dough can be too heavy for the choux pastry?
Dini says
Hi Louise
The same choux pastry baked with the cookie dough is slightly rounder and flatter than the one without (which is taller). But yes. If the cookie is too thick or too large for the choux dough, it can weigh the pastry down and make it even flatter, as the pastry wouldn’t be able to puff up during baking.
Huza says
Awesome! #achievementunlocked
Thanks to your sharing!
Mahima says
Thank you for the incredibly detailed write up on choux buns! I’m a reasonably experienced home baker, but hadn’t tried choux buns before. After reading your notes, I jumped straight to making the choux buns with craquelin and diplomat cream. My first time making choux buns, and they were so nice! I’m making them again tomorrow.
Thu Phan says
Some of the tips in here are really helpful, thank you so much. My choux au craquelin become less crunchy after about a day in the fridge uncovered, and I’m so happy to learn that by stablizing the whipped cream it helps prevent the filling from weeping. I will definitely try this out. Thank you again
Yumna says
This sounds amazing Can I use a tinned caramel sauce and then make the pastry Creme?
Dini says
Hi Yumna!
Thank you 🙂
You could do that. But for this recipe, unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to tell for sure how much to substitute in place of the caramel I make here.
Yumna says
Thanks so much for the quick reply would it be okay if I just add it to taste after making the pastry creme?
Dini says
Hi Yumna
I wouldn’t recommend that. After the pastry cream is cooked, anything you add to it will change the consistency of the pastry cream. The caramel sauce needs to be cooked WITH the rest of the ingredients, so that it can pastry cream can be the right consistency when you add whipped cream.
I hope that helps!
Debby says
Can I make this a hazelnut cream using hazelnut paste?
Dini says
Hi Debby
I haven’t tried to make this with hazelnut paste, but it is definitely possible. I wouldn’t know how much to add to give the pastry cream good hazelnut flavor and also maintain the consistency.
Cynthia G says
Hi Dini,
I’ve decided to dedicate my spring break to mastering choux au craquelin! So far I’ve made 2 batches and both times 50% of the puffs deflated while the other half is alright. Definitely going to try your recipe next though! I had the idea of making the whole thing speculoos flavored (a cookie (spread) popular here in Holland) and I was wondering if you had an idea whether it’s better to use the cookie or the spread and maybe the amount as well? If you dont, thats fine too: I’ll just experiment on my own 🙂 Lots of thanks in advance!
Gladys says
Can I pipe the pastry in cupcake paper cup instead?
Dini says
Hi Gladys
I have piped choux pastry in mini cupcake liners and the results were pretty good. You will have to adjust the baking time accordingly.
However, you will also be unable to fill the choux pastries from the bottom because of the presence of the liner as well.
I hope that helps
Shelby H. says
what type of cream is used in this recipe, because i dont want to make the custard to heavy bc i want to use it in my croquembouche recipe 🙂
Dini says
Hi Shelby
You have to use whipping cream for this recipe because it needs to be whipped before being mixed in with the pastry cream. All cream used in this recipe is 35% cream. The initial cream added to make the caramel base (caramel sauce) needs to be a high fat cream to prevent splitting. But the actual custard uses milk.
Hope that helps!
Janet says
My son requested cream puffs for his birthday. I had never heard of craquelin before finding your recipe. When I opened the oven door I literally squealed, it was so beautiful. One question–do you have a tip on reheating leftover unfilled shells to crisp them back up?
Dini says
Hi Janet
I’m so glad that they came out well! 🙂
Yes you can reheat unfilled pastry shells too. I like to preheat the oven to about 275 – 300°F. Then place the shells on a baking tray, and in the oven, to reheat for 10 – 15 minutes. Then they should crisp up. But keep an eye on them, because you don’t want them to get darker/burn on top.
I hope that helps! 🙂
Grandma Youngblood says
This recipe was so awesome and helpful but could you please include this information in the section in which you discuss reheating empty shells? It took me too long to find this comment–which was frustrating–and I think other readers would appreciate that information within the recipe or in “tips & tricks”. Thanks for the recipe, again, it is brilliant!
Dini says
Thank you!
I’m so glad that you were happy with this recipe! 🙂
And yes! Thank you for suggestion. I will add that information to the recipe as well 🙂
Stephanie says
Hi Dini,
This looks amazing! tried making the salted caramel custard yesterday but it turned out grainy – wasn’t as luscious as I imagine this to be when reading your recipe. Could I have overheated the custard? The second I saw a bubble after adding the egg mixture into the milk moisture I turned the stove off. I’m trying to work out where it went wrong.
Thanks.
Dini says
Hi Stephanie
The grainy texture can happen;
If the caramel seized (which won’t happen if warm cream was added to the caramelized sugar), and if the the eggs over-cooked and curdled in the custard.
The cornstarch helps prevent this, IF you stir the custard while it’s cooking. I’ve even let the custard boil for a few seconds, provided I still keep stirring and mixing the custard well. If it’s not mixed/whisked well while cooking, the custard at the bottom (or bottom edges) of the pan will set and scramble. This can result in a grainy texture as well.
This can also happen if you add the eggs into the hot milk mixture WITHOUT tempering the eggs. As soon as the eggs hit the hot milk, they will start cooking creating a grainy, scrambled texture. So it MUST be tempered with the hot milk slowly.
You can try blending the custard with an immersion blender (just pulse it) and passing the mixture through a sieve. But if that still doesn’t fix the issue, you may have to make it again. Temper the eggs before adding all the milk. And stir and whisk the mixture constantly until it thickens and comes to a boil.
I hope that helps!
Dina sadek says
Hi can I just ask is 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract / vanilla bean paste for the pastry cream correct ? Seems like it’s too much for a salted caramel flavoured pastry cream I found the vanilla overpowered the caramel flavour
Dini says
Hi Dina
I like to use 1 tbsp because I personally really love the taste of vanilla.
Also the pastry cream will be mixed with whipped cream, and dilute the vanilla flavor further. If you prefer not to use as much vanilla you can reduce it though.
Sophea says
Hi Dini,
Is it possible to freeze salted caramel filling?
Thanks
Dini says
Hi Sophea
I have frozen this filling AFTER I filled the choux pastries (leftovers), and they were fine when thawed out. However the texture does change slightly.
Saria says
I always thought that cornstarch made pastry cream collapse if frozen, why is that not the case here? Is it the added gelatin?
Dini says
Hi Saria
Freezing cornstarch thickened liquids does have an impact and it loses it’s thickening property as it thaws out.
However, as you have mentioned, the gelatin in this mixture is what keeps the filling stable. It is still better eaten fresh, as filled pastries will lose it’s crispiness.
Zeesha Currimbhoy says
The salted caramel cream filling was absolutely amazing! I love your recipes
Leticia Vanzela says
Thank you so much for this recipe (along with basic choux pastry one)! I got a little scared before putting them in the oven as my piping skills aren’t good, but they turned out beautiful!
Dini says
Thank you Leticia, I’m so happy they came out well for you, and you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Toby says
How far in advance can I fill
These before the Choux looses all crispness? Thank you.
Dini says
Hi Toby, I would wait till the last minute as much as possible. Because these have the craquelin top, they do stay crisp longer than regular profiteroles. I’ve kept them filled for about 1 hour with some crispness in the craquelin.
Yumna says
Is there any way to thicken the diplomat cream
Melanie says
I made cream puffs for the first time not long ago and they turned out really good for my first time, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Nadica Nikolova says
Hi Dini! I had to leave a comment on this recipe, I cannot express my gratefulness to you for this elaborate text! After rereading this a hundred of times, I decided to try out the recipe because eclairs are my favorite dessert… Every single question or doubt that I had about how thick to make the dough or how to properly make the caramel were answered in this recipe, and not many recipes provide those answers. I’ve never succeeded in making a caramel before this recipe, so that says a lot. Also, I’ve struggled with the choux dough a couple of times, but this came out perfect from first try.
The eclairs were wonderful, can’t wait to make them again!!!
Dini says
Hi Nadica, I’m so glad the post was helpful and the recipe came out well for you. 🙂 Eclairs are one of my absolute favorites too! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Katie says
Hey! So, made this the other day and it was AMAZING, and plan to make them again for a party this weekend. I think I’m doing the caramel base wrong though – every time I try (which has been several times haha), the caramel splits because the milk seems to curdle when I add it. It’s killing me – I’ve tried different milks at different temps, different stages of melted sugar, but it’s happened like five times. Any idea what I might be doing wrong? It’s driving me insane because literally everything else in this recipe came out perfect first try (actually had a friend request a “bathtub full of that filling” so even with wonky caramel it’s still good haha). Thanks so much! 🙂
Dini says
Hi Katie!
I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
I haven’t had a problem with splitting before, but I use full fat milk. What type of milk did you use? I recommend either using half and half or cream.
Hope that helps! Let me know how it comes out 🙂
Katie says
Thanks for the quick reply! I was using whole milk last night, but I tried again tonight using heavy cream for that initial half cup of liquid added to the caramel and then used milk as directed once the bubbles calmed down (only had the mini cartons of cream at the store so I didn’t have enough anyway haha) and it was perfect. Looking forward to finishing everything tomorrow! 🙂
Dini says
That’s great Katie!
Definitely only use cream for the first 1/2 cup only. Or the pastry cream will become too heavy if made with all cream. Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Andrew says
Hi there,
Those choux au craquelin looks really good! Do you mind posting the recipes in grams and millilitre?
Thanks
Dini says
Hi Andrew, thank you! There’s a toggle button called “Metric” below the ingredients list in the recipe card. If you click on that, the measurements will be converted to g and mL. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Cheers,
Dini
JD says
This is an amazing recipe and I can’t wait to try it out!
Any thoughts on vegetarian replacements for gelatin? I’d like to make these with agar agar or pectin (or something else). I’m vegetarian and try my best not to use gelatin but I haven’t gotten much experience yet. 🙂
Dini says
Hi JD!
Unfortunately I haven’t tried making this with agar agar or pectin, so I can’t be certain if it would work the same. Theoretically agar agar should work, but I haven’t tried.
I have made stabilized whipped cream using piping gel, that MIGHT work here, but again, I can’t be sure.
Piping gel (the wilton brand), doesn’t have gelatin in the ingredient list, so it should be fine to use too.
Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.
Paul M. says
Do you place the craquelin on top of the pate a choux while still frozen or wait until thawed? Making these this week.
Dini says
Hi Paul!
I actually don’t freeze my choux pastry in this recipe. I haven’t found the need to freeze them before baking, so I don’t know how they will bake from frozen.
If you are freezing your dough, then I recommend placing the craquelin on top before baking them. If you thaw it out before baking, then place them on top once thawed. If you’re baking from frozen, then place them on top while frozen. Remember that the craquelin may burn in the oven if you’re baking pate a choux from frozen (I’m not 100% sure, but there’s a high chance).
Shondra says
Hi there! How do I make my puffs bigger as in higher ( if that makes sense)? Do i pipe the choux taller? Thanks in advance!!
Dini says
Hi Shondra!
It might help to read my post where I detail how to make perfect choux pastry that I’ve linked here. In the section “Piping the dough” I’ve detailed how you need to pipe profiterole cases. It would be the same for crauquelin, only just adding the disc above it. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions!
Shondra says
Thanks for the fast reply Dini!
Ive tried to make them today but it seems like my puffs didnt cook evenly! The bottom bit was burnt but the craquelin bit wasnt browned yet.
May I know what oven setting you’re using? I baked my puffs in a upper and lower element.
Thanks in advance!!
Stephanie says
How come the stabilized Chantilly cream is only whipped to soft peaks and not stiff peaks? I feel like it was too runny after I folded in the pastry cream. Whereas stiffer peaks would have made it the perfect consistency.
Dini says
Hi Stephanie,
If you’d like to whisk it to stiff peaks, you can do so. However, I prefer not to in this recipe because stiff whipped cream can split when you fold in pastry cream (because the whipped cream was whisked too much). And it’s the gelatin that allows the filling to “set” here. Whipped cream at firm but soft peak stage still retains its texture and creaminess without becoming grainy. If the pastry cream and whipped cream were chilled really well, and were folded together, then it should come to the right consistency as described here – i.e. soft, not pipeable (doesn’t hold its shape), but not runny either. Hope that helps!
Peter says
Hi! I made this, and the buns didn’t rise as much as I wanted them too. Any tips on how to avoid flat craquelins?
Dini says
Hi Peter!
It’s hard for me to say for sure why the choux pastry didn’t rise without seeing what the choux pastry batter looked like.
You could look into a few things –
The craquelin disc might have been too thick, making it too heavy on the pastry.
The choux pastry dough may have been too thick (if the pastries tasted doughy) or too thin (if the pastries spread too wide).
I hope you’re able to let me know more about how they came out, so I can help you further. And in case you haven’t seen it yet, I have a separate post dedicated to choux pastry troubleshooting here. Maybe that post could give you some pointers too? Good luck!
Mia says
They look amazing!!
How long do you crisp them up in the oven after being frozen? Do you put them in frozen or thaw first?
Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Mia!
I usually use it after thawing it out. I don’t crisp them up in the oven because it’s just for my family. I can’t recommend a time, but I would just keep the thawed out craquelin in the oven just till it warms up. But please remember that you have to let them cool down again before filling them.
Hope that helps!
Amy says
Dini, these look AMAZING! Do you have any suggestions for making a CHOCOLATE version of the choux pastry and craquelin?
Dini says
Hi Amy!
Thank you so much! For the Craquelin, you can substitute about 1 oz of the AP Flour with cocoa powder for brown craquelin (more if you want it darker or a stronger taste). I haven’t done chocolate choux pastry yet, but it is on my list of recipes to perfect this year! I just moved countries, so I will be getting back to work as soon as I can! 🙂 Hope you subscribe or follow so I can let you know when I do get the recipe perfected!
Amy says
Thank you for your reply, Dini! Moved countries? WOW. Hope you enjoy your new home! I just subscribed. Thanks!
Nick says
Made this yesterday. Worked perfectly. Tasted amazing. Thx
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Nick! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Kat says
Hi!! this looks great I’m going to attempt it tomorrow. In the ingredients you wrote “cornstarch cornflour”, but in the recipe you just write cornstarch. Would cornflour work in this? I have a ton I’m trying to use up. Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Kat,
Yep, they are both the same thing, so you can use the cornflour here. Just clarifying that what I use is cornstarch (which is called cornflour in some countries) and not corn flour (or corn meal). Good luck! 🙂