Name: Raspberry Choux with Craquelin Recipe
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 200 g raspberries (frozen or fresh); 100 g whole milk; 25 g granulated sugar; ½ tsp vanilla paste; 100 g raspberry purée; 2 egg yolks; 25 g granulated sugar; 15 g cornstarch; 45 g raspberries; 100 g white chocolate; 175 g heavy cream; 45 g raspberry purée; 25 g butter (room temperature); 30 g granulated sugar; 30 g all-purpose flour; 30 g water; 30 g milk; 30 g butter; ¼ tsp salt; 5 g granulated sugar; 35 g strong bread flour (12-14% protein); 60 g large eggs (about 1-2 eggs, room temperature); 50 g Valrhona Raspberry Inspiration chocolate; Edible flowers (for garnish); Raspberry dust (for garnish)

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Introduction

Raspberry Choux with Craquelin is a delicate and impressive pastry that combines crisp choux buns with a sweet, crunchy craquelin topping and luscious raspberry-infused creams. This elegant dessert balances tart raspberry flavor with smooth white chocolate ganache, perfect for special occasions or a sophisticated treat at home.

The image shows a dessert with a crumbly golden outer shell as the base layer, filled with two visible inside layers: a smooth bright pink layer at the bottom and a fluffy light pink layer on top. On top of the dessert is a thin, flat circular pink layer, and a large dollop of light pink cream, which has tiny red specks and is decorated with two small dark reddish leaves. The dessert is placed on a white plate with a subtle textured pattern, and extra desserts and a red raspberry are slightly blurred in the background on a white marbled surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

200 g raspberries (frozen or fresh)
100 g whole milk
25 g granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
100 g raspberry purée
2 egg yolks
25 g granulated sugar
15 g cornstarch
45 g raspberries
100 g white chocolate
175 g heavy cream
25 g butter (room temperature)
30 g granulated sugar
30 g all-purpose flour
30 g water
30 g milk
30 g butter
1/4 tsp salt
5 g granulated sugar
35 g strong bread flour (12-14% protein)
60 g large eggs (about 1-2 eggs, room temperature)
50 g Valrhona Raspberry Inspiration chocolate (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Blend the raspberries in a small blender until smooth. Strain the purée through a sieve to remove skins and seeds and set aside.
Step 2: For the raspberry pastry cream, heat milk, 25 g sugar, and vanilla paste in a pot until just boiling. Whisk together 100 g raspberry purée, egg yolks, 25 g sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.
Step 3: Temper the egg mixture by slowly whisking in one-third of the hot milk. Return this mixture to the pot with remaining milk. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Step 4: Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cover with cling film touching the surface to prevent skin forming. Chill in the refrigerator. If curdled, blend until smooth with an immersion blender.
Step 5: For the raspberry-white chocolate cream, heat 125 g heavy cream and 45 g raspberry purée to a slight boil. Pour over white chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Stir, then blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Cover with cling film and chill for a few hours or overnight.
Step 6: Make the craquelin by creaming butter and sugar until combined. Mix in flour to form a crumbly dough. Roll between parchment paper to 2-3 mm thickness and freeze for 30-40 minutes.
Step 7: Preheat oven to 180ºC. Prepare baking tray with parchment or non-stick mat. Bring water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil; stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and quickly mix in flour until dough forms a ball and a film appears on the bottom of the pot.
Step 8: Transfer dough to a mixer and cool slightly by mixing. Whisk eggs separately and incorporate slowly into the dough until it is sticky, smooth, glossy, and holds shape.
Step 9: Pipe 5 cm diameter rounds on the baking tray. Cut craquelin into 6 cm circles and place each on top of the choux dough. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Step 10: At 28 minutes, open oven briefly and poke holes in choux with a toothpick to release steam. Bake an additional 2-10 minutes until golden and crisp.
Step 11: Cool choux on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes and then on a rack until completely cool.
Step 12: (Optional) Temper raspberry chocolate and spread thinly on parchment. Cut into 6 cm circles once set for decoration.
Step 13: To assemble, cut the top off each choux. Whisk pastry cream and fill a piping bag. Whip raspberry-white chocolate ganache with remaining 50 g cream until medium-stiff peaks form; fill a separate piping bag.
Step 14: Pipe pastry cream halfway into choux, then fill the rest with the whipped ganache. Top with a chocolate circle and a dollop of ganache.
Step 15: Decorate with edible flowers and raspberry dust if desired. Serve immediately for best texture.

Tips & Variations

Use frozen raspberries if fresh are unavailable; simply thaw before blending.
If the pastry cream clumps, an immersion blender will smooth it perfectly.
Adjust egg quantity gradually in choux dough to reach the ideal sticky and glossy consistency.
For a dairy-free alternative, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream and use dairy-free chocolate.
Craquelin can be flavored with a pinch of cinnamon or lemon zest for a unique twist.

Storage

Store assembled choux pastries in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 1-2 days for best freshness. Unfilled choux buns and craquelin can be stored separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm unfilled choux briefly in a low-temperature oven to regain crispness before filling.

How to Serve

The image shows three round pastries with a rough, golden-brown textured base that looks crunchy. Each pastry has a thin, bright pink disk on top, followed by a dollop of light pink whipped cream with a smooth, fluffy texture, sprinkled lightly with red powder. A small, deep red leaf decoration sits delicately on the whipped cream of the two whole pastries. The pastry on the right has a bite taken out of it, revealing a creamy, light pink filling inside that is smooth and glossy. All pastries are placed on a white marbled surface with soft white fabric blurred in the background. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the choux dough ahead of time?

You can prepare the choux dough and freeze the piped buns before baking. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.

How do I prevent the choux buns from deflating?

Keep the oven door closed during baking to maintain steam. After baking, allow the buns to cool gradually near the oven to avoid sudden temperature changes that cause deflation.