Craquelin for Cream Puffs

With only 3 ingredients and 5 minute prep time, craquelin is a common patisserie secret of adding a crunchy cookie topping to choux pastry cream puffs! 

This recipe is very easy to make and really takes your cream puffs to the next level. The first time I had it was at a fancy cream puff bakery and it made the cream puffs so much better.   I immediately went online to find out about it, but couldn’t seem to find anything. Fortunately, not too much later I came across a recipe for craquelin and realized it’s not some french bakery secret, but a super easy cookie topping.  My cream puffs have never been the same since.

Definition of Craquelin

The literal translation of craquelin means cracker, but when referring to french pastries Craquelin is a sweet and crunchy cookie topping that you add to pate a choux to give it a distinct sweet and crunchy texture.  Traditionally made out of brown sugar, butter, and flour, I find in addition to a delicious taste it keeps the cream puffs from getting soggy.

Ingredients

• Sugar- Light or Dark Brown sugar is the most common type of sugar for craquelin but I’ve heard of people using Demerara or Turbinado sugar, which have larger sugar crystals than regular brown sugar.  You can also use granulated sugar. 
• Butter- It typically calls for unsalted butter, but you use salted if that is what you have on hand. 

How to Make Craquelin

This craquelin recipe is so simple!

1. Cream the softened butter and sugar for a minute or two. Then add the flour and mix another minute.
2. It will look crumbly at first, but keep mixing. If there is any unmixed butter, sugar, or flour, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then start mixing again.
3. After another minute or so, it will come together in a ball and clump in the middle. It should be smooth and fully combined. 
4. Remove from the mixer and form the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface. It helps to roll it out on parchment or wax paper so you can easily move the rolled dough to a pan to freeze.  If you’re making ahead of time, tightly wrap the disk of dough in plastic wrap until you’re ready to use it. 
5. Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thick. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
6. Once the dough is solid, use cookie cutters to cut out circles of craquelin disks to place on top of unbaked choux pastry. If the dough sticks to the cookie cutter, you can dip the cutter into a small bowl of flour before cutting the dough. If the dough gets too soft, place back in the freezer 5-10 minutes to firm up.

Then, bake as directed, and then you have beautifully crispy and delicious craquelin cream puffs.

Tips for Making Craquelin

• The size of the cookie cutter circle will determine how much of the cream puff is covered with topping.  The bigger the craquelin circle the more the cream puff that will be covered in craquelin.  If you want just the top of the cream puff covered, use a smaller cookie cutter. If you want the whole cream puff covered with craquelin, make sure the craquelin disk is about as big as the piped cream puff itself. 
• Make sure roll the dough to about ¼ in thick and freeze it for at least 30 minutes.
• Rolling the dough out on parchment or wax paper allows you to easily transfer the rolled dough to a pan to place in the freezer.
• The dough softens pretty quickly so if the dough gets too soft while cutting the circles, put it back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up. 
• If making ahead of time, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to keep from taking on any flavors from the freezer or fridge.

Flavors and Appearance Variations

• Black: add 1-2 tablespoons activated charcoal
• Chocolate:  For chocolate flavor add 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• Matcha: Use 2 tbps matcha powder
• Bright colors: you can also add food coloring to your craquelin for different colored topping.  I prefer gel food coloring as they’re brighter and won’t alter the consistency of the dough.
• Lighter color: use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar

Have you tried craquelin on your choux pastry? What did you think? Let me know in the comments! 

Craquelin

With only 3 ingredients and 5 minute prep time, craquelin is a common patisserie secret of adding a crunchy cookie topping to choux pastry cream puffs! 

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Freeze Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 36

Calories: 38kcal

Author: Sophia Assunta

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup flour
• Choux Pastry

Tools:

• Mixer
• Parchment or slipmat
• Rolling pin
• Circle cookie cutters

Instructions

• Fit a standing mixer with a paddle attachment.
• Add softened butter and mix until flight and fluffy.
• Add brown sugar and flour and cream together until combined. It will ball in the middle of bowl.
• Place the mix onto a large piece of parchment that has been sprinkled with flour.
• Roll until about ¼ inch thick
• Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes
• Once you're ready to cook your cream puffs, use the circle cookie cutter to cut circles and place them on top of the pate a choux.  If too hard to cut, let defrost for a minute or two.
• Cook pate a choux as normally instructed.
• Violla! Cream puffs with a crunchy cookie top.

Notes

• The size of the cookie cutter circle will determine how much of the cream puff is covered with topping.  The bigger the craquelin circle the more the cream puff that will be covered in craquelin.  If you want just the top of the cream puff covered, use a smaller cookie cutter. If you want the whole cream puff covered with craquelin, make sure the craquelin disk is about as big as the piped cream puff itself. 
• Make sure roll the dough to about ¼ in thick and freeze it for at least 30 minutes.
• Rolling the dough out on parchment or wax paper allows you to easily transfer the rolled dough to a pan to place in the freezer.
• The dough softens pretty quickly so if the dough gets too soft while cutting the circles, put it back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up. 
• If making ahead of time, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to keep from taking on any flavors from the freezer or fridge.
• Recipe altered from David Lebovitz

Nutrition

Serving: 1craquelin disk | Calories: 38kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 6mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Tried this Recipe? Let me know!Tag @Sophia.Assunta or #Partylicious!