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Strawberry Choux au Craquelin Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 141 reviews

Strawberry Choux au Craquelin is an elegant and flavorful French pastry featuring crisp choux buns topped with a sweet, crunchy strawberry-flavored craquelin. Filled with a luscious strawberry crème légère—a blend of smooth strawberry pastry cream and whipped cream—and a hint of salted strawberry jam, this dessert offers a perfect balance of textures and fruity sweetness. Ideal for special occasions or impressive dessert presentations, this recipe involves multiple steps including making strawberry crème légère, craquelin dough, choux pastry, and salted jam, culminating in a visually stunning and delicious treat served fresh.

Ingredients

Scale

Strawberry Crème Légère

  • 1 lb strawberries (washed and hulled)
  • 1 ¾ cup whole milk (380 grams)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
  • 4 egg yolks (60 grams)
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • ¾ cup heavy cream (175 mL)
  • 1 tbsp freeze-dried strawberry powder (optional)

Strawberry Craquelin

  • ½ cup light brown sugar (4 oz, 115 grams)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, 4 oz, 115 grams), cut into ½-inch cubes and softened
  • 4 ounces all-purpose flour (1 scant cup; 115 grams)
  • 2 tbsp freeze-dried strawberry powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Few drops red food coloring (optional)

Choux Pastry

  • 1 batch choux pastry (recipe from Serious Eats)

Salted Strawberry Jam

  • ⅓ cup strawberry jam (105 grams)
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Do Ahead: This recipe can be done mostly a day ahead, except the choux pastry which must be made the day of serving. Prepare the strawberry crème légère, craquelin, and salted jam in advance.
  2. Make the Strawberry Crème Légère: Blend strawberries until smooth, then strain to extract juice. Heat strawberry juice, milk, and vanilla in a saucepan until nearly simmering, then remove from heat. In a bowl, whisk sugar and egg yolks until pale and fluffy; add flour and cornstarch and mix thoroughly. Slowly add warm strawberry milk to egg mixture while whisking to prevent curdling. Return mixture to low heat and whisk constantly until thickened to pudding consistency, about 5 minutes. Cover tightly to prevent skin formation and chill at least 1 hour. Once chilled, whip heavy cream with strawberry powder until stiff peaks form and gently fold into the pastry cream. Transfer to piping bag and set aside.
  3. Make the Strawberry Craquelin: On a sheet pan, mix brown sugar and softened butter until smooth. Add flour, strawberry powder, and salt; mix well. Add food coloring if desired and mix again. Knead dough briefly by hand and shape into a rectangle. Place between parchment sheets and roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze solid (5–10 minutes). Cut out 2-inch circles from frozen dough and place on parchment-lined sheet pan; freeze until ready to use.
  4. Make the Choux Pastry: Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare two parchment-lined baking sheets and mark 2-inch circles as guides. Prepare choux pastry according to Serious Eats’ recipe. Pipe dollops of batter inside each circle on the baking sheet. Top each dollop with a frozen craquelin circle. Bake for about 30 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.
  5. Dry Out Choux: Remove tray briefly from oven and poke holes in bottom of hot choux to release steam. Return to oven, prop door open slightly with wooden spoon, and let sit for 30 minutes to dry.
  6. Make Salted Strawberry Jam: Combine strawberry jam and salt in small bowl; transfer to piping bag.
  7. Assemble: Snip small openings on piping bags with crème légère and salted jam. Fill each choux from the hole at the bottom, first with the crème légère, then a bit of salted jam. Clean any spills. Garnish with reserved whipped cream and fresh or freeze-dried strawberry slices if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Craquelin can be prepared and frozen in advance to save time on the day of baking.
  • Ensure the pastry cream is fully chilled before folding in whipped cream to maintain texture and prevent melting.
  • When piping choux, keep the bag perpendicular and apply medium pressure for consistent size and shape.
  • Using a paring knife to vent the choux allows steam to escape, preventing sogginess inside.
  • Serve choux au craquelin the same day they are filled to keep the craquelin crisp and fresh.

Keywords: Strawberry choux, choux au craquelin, craquelin pastry, strawberry pastry cream, French dessert, cream puffs, strawberry dessert, baking

Find it online: https://victoriablair.com/strawberry-choux-au-craquelin-recipe/