Triple Chocolate Cream Puffs
I love making pâte á choux. Whether it’s for my favorite crullers, eclairs or cream puffs, the dough is extremely versatile, freezable, and easy to make. This will be the third choux based recipe on this blog, and certainly not the last!
I was sent a sample of Raaka Chocolate’s new baking chocolate to create a recipe with. Raaka’s chocolate is super delicious and more flavorful than anything I’ve ever tasted — it’s my favorite chocolate bar to eat casually, as one does. My personal favorite flavor is the oat milk bar . The chocolate is super rich, deeply flavorful and fruity. I used the 71% Classic Dark Baking Chocolate for this recipe. The chocolate itself is vegan, but I’m using tons of dairy in this recipe, of course. ;)
I added some dark cocoa powder to my classic choux recipe to chocolatize (new word!) the dough. Some more cocoa powder went into the craquelin topping, and I folded a good amount of Raaka into my pastry warm cream to fill the baked puffs with. The dark chocolate really helps keep the sweetness balanced!
Recipe Notes: Raw choux can be frozen and baked at a later time. Top with craquelin before freezing if desired. Once baked and filled, these are best eaten the same day. If you want even lighter cream puffs that can be filled more, fold 1 cup of whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream.
chocolate choux
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp water
3 1/2 tablespoons (50g) butter, unsalted
Big pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup (120g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
2 to 3 eggs
chocolate craquelin
5 tablespoons (70g) butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
Pinch salt
chocolate pastry cream
1 batch prepared pastry cream, still hot
3/4 cup Raaka 71% Classic Dark Baking Chocolate
Make the craquelin: combine all ingredients except butter in a stand mixer on low speed. Add in butter while mixer runs and stop when a crumbly dough forms. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment and roll into a small rectangle, keeping the dough about as thick as a nickel. Place in freezer.
Make the choux dough: In a medium pot combine the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium-low until the milk begins to simmer. Turn off the heat and whisk in the flour and cocoa powder as quickly as possible, then switch to a heat-proof spatula. Stir until a film collects on the bottom of the pot and begins to make a hissing sound, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the dough into a stand mixer and beat with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes, or until steam is gone but the dough is still slightly warm. Add eggs one at a time and allow each to fully incorporate, stopping and scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed. After adding 2 eggs use the stretch test (demo’d here in my IGTV video). If your pastry doesn’t stretch at least an inch, you may need another egg (or maybe even half of one — whisk it together and add half to start. The choux should be smooth and shiny when finished. Place in a piping bag fitted with a round tip and prepare to pipe.
Assemble and bake choux: preheat the oven to 425º F. Remove the craquelin from the freezer and set aside. Line a half sheet with parchment paper and pipe the choux dough in quarter-sized amounts 1” apart (you’ll get around 24 puffs). Using a small ring cutter or the wide end of another piping tip, cut circles out of the craquelin topping. Remove carefully (use an offset spatula) and place one on top of each piped choux. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 425º, then lower to 375º for the remaining 15 to 20 minutes. When done the puffs will be risen and hollow if you pick one up. Cool completely after baking.
Make the chocolate pastry cream: fold 3/4 cup of Raaka chocolate wafers into pastry cream right when it comes off of the stove. Cover and chill fully before using (2-3 hours).
Assemble cream puffs: slice cooled puffs in half sandwich style. Stir the chilled pastry cream to smoothen it out, then place in a piping bag and pipe cute blobs on each cream puff bottom. Place the top on, and voilà: a triple chocolate cream puff. Eat immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve! Best eaten the day they’re made.
