Triple Chocolate Choux Buns

Close up on a choux filled with piped chocolate cream.

5 from 2 votes

These triple Chocolate Choux Buns make the most delicious and indulgent little pastries, ever! The airy chocolate choux pastry is covered with a crispy layer of chocolate craquelin and filled with a luscious chocolate pastry cream.

Prep Time1

Cook Time35

Resting Time2 30

Total Time4 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: choux

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Sylvie

Ingredients

Chocolate Pastry Cream

500 ml full cream / whole milk
4 large egg yolks at room temperature
30 gr caster sugar
30 gr cornstarch
120 gr dark cooking chocolate finely chopped

Chocolate Craquelin

35 gr plain flour
10 gr unsweetened cocoa powder
45 gr unsalted butter soft
45 gr brown sugar

Chocolate Choux Pastry

125 ml water
50 gr unsalted butter
20 gr caster sugar
60 gr plain flour
10 gr unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
2 large eggs at room temperature

Instructions

Chocolate Pastry Cream

Place the milk in a small saucepan, turn on low heat and bring to a simmer. In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium heat-proof bowl until just combined, then mix in the cornstarch.
Once the milk starts to simmer, slowly pour it over the egg mixture while constantly whisking to get a smooth, liquid mixture (see note 1). Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and turn on low heat.
Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes (more or less depending on the exact temperature of the stove) or until the custard has thickened (see note 2). Make sure to continuously mix to avoid getting lumps in the cream.
Remove from the heat and add the finely chopped chocolate (or couverture chocolate callets / pistols). Stir with a spatula until the chocolate has completely melted (see note 3) and you get a smooth, shiny cream.
Pour the cream into a clean bowl or shallow pan (like a brownie pan), cover with plastic wrap touching it surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Chocolate Craquelin

Combine the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl and set aside. Place the very soft butter in a small bowl (or the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Add the brown sugar then sift in flour and cocoa powder.
Work the dough with a spatula by mixing and pressing the ingredients together until you get an homogeneous, thick paste. Place the paste between two sheets of baking paper and roll into a very thin layer that is about about 2mm (1/16-inch) thick using a rolling pin.
Place on a flat baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes or until completely hard.

Chocolate Choux Pastry

In a medium size saucepan, combine the water, sugar, salt and butter and bring to a simmer on medium low heat. In the meantime, sift together the flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl.
Once the butter has completely melted and the liquid starts to simmer, remove from the heat and drop in the sifted flour and cocoa powder at once. Using a stiff heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon, vigorously stir until the mixture turns into a thick paste called a "panade".
Return on the stove and cook for 2 minutes on medium low heat while constantly mixing and pressing the dough against the side and bottom of the saucepan to dry it out. A thin skin should form at the bottom of the saucepan.
Transfer the mixture into a large clean bowl (or bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to allow for the mixture to cool (see note 4)
In a small separate bowl, whisk the eggs until the white and yolk are well combined. Pour about 1 to 2 tablespoons of whisked egg into the "panade" and mix it in using a stiff spatula (or with the stand mixer on medium speed). The pastry will seem to split at first but will come together after some strong mixing.
Continue to add and mix in a little bit of whisked egg at a time until you reach the desired consistency - even if not all of the eggs have been used or if you need to add a third one (see note 5).

Baking & Assembling the Choux

Preheat your oven on 180 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a large baking sheet with baking paper / parchment paper (see note 6).
Place the chocolate choux pastry in a pastry bag fitted with a 2 cm (¾ inch) round piping tip. Pipe small mounds of pastry that are about 4 cm (1,5 inch) wide and 2 cm (¾ inch) tall, leaving plenty of room between each choux bun.
Take the craquelin out of the freezer and gently peel off the top sheet of paper. Cut out small disks of craquelin using a 4 cm (1,5 inch) wide cookie cutter - or disks large enough to fully cover each bun.
Using a small offset spatula, lift the disks of craquelin and carefully place them on top of each choux bun (see note 7).
Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes without opening the door at all. The chocolate choux should have puffed and risen into small balls. Turn off the oven, slightly open the door (I use a wooden spoon to keep it open) and leave for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, place the baking sheet on a wire rack and leave to cool down completely.
Take the chocolate pastry cream out of the fridge and transfer inside a piping bag fitted with a 1,2 cm (1/2 inch) open star tip. Slice each choux buns in half and pipe the chocolate cream inside the bottom half of the choux. Place the top part of the choux back over the cream and serve straight away.

Video

Notes

This step allows to temper the egg yolks. Slowly bringing up their temperature will help avoid overcooking them on the stove later.
Make sure the cream doesn't boil or the eggs will scramble and make the cream lumpy. Ideally, the pastry cream needs to reach 82 to 84 degrees celsius (around 180 degrees Fahrenheit) to be properly cooked.
You can use an immersion blender to mix the chocolate in which will give a super smooth texture to the pastry cream - but don't over-mix or it will turn too liquid.
Make sure the "panade" doesn't feel hot to the touch anymore before starting to add the eggs, or you risk cooking the egg with the residual heat.
The key to successfully bake choux pastry is to stop adding the eggs as soon as you get the right consistency as the exact amount require will always vary based on different factors. The choux pastry should be smooth, shiny and slightly fluid. If you pick up some of the mixture with a spatula and lift it up, it should create a "V" shape when it falls back down.
You can use a drop of raw choux pastry in each corner of the baking sheet to act as a glue that will hold down the baking paper while you pipe the buns.
If the craquelin gets too soft and is hard to move around, place back in the freezer for a few minutes.

Nutrition