Vanilla and Caramel Choux
Indulge in these heavenly choux pastries, bursting with luscious vanilla diplomat cream and drizzled with a rich caramel glaze. Perfectly crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, these treats are sure to impress at any gathering. Elevate your dessert game with this delightful combination of textures and flavors!
Prep
120
min
Cook
35
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 150 g water (5.29 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(7)
- 80 g cold butter (5.6 tbsp)
- 120 g butter (8.4 tbsp)
- 180–200 g eggs (6.35 oz)
- 100 g egg yolks (3.53 oz)
- 200 g heavy cream (7.06 oz)
- 150 g milk (5.29 oz)
- 500 g milk (17.6 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(8)
- 50 g cornstarch (1.76 oz)
- 110 g flour (0.88 cup)
- 180 g all-purpose flour (1.44 cup)
- 110 g white sugar (0.55 cup)
- 20 g white sugar (0.1 cup)
- 80 g sugar (0.4 cup)
- 200 g white sugar with a little water (1 cup)
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 7 g salt (0.25 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring milk to a boil. Whisk yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
- 2
Pour hot milk over the yolk mixture, whisk well, then return to saucepan.
- 3
Cook over low–medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.
- 4
Chill the pastry cream for at least 2 hours.
- 5
Whip cream to soft peaks, fold into the cold pastry cream, and transfer to a piping bag.
- 6
Mix all ingredients for the craquelin topping with a paddle attachment until a crumbly dough forms.
- 7
Roll very thin between parchment sheets.
- 8
Cut discs and freeze until use.
- 9
Bring milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil.
- 10
Remove from heat, add flour at once, mix until dough pulls from the sides. Return to low heat for 2 minutes.
- 11
Transfer to mixer, cool slightly, add eggs gradually until smooth choux dough forms.
- 12
Pipe 3 cm rounds and place frozen craquelin discs on top.
- 13
Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 35 minutes.
- 14
Fill baked choux puffs with diplomat cream.
- 15
Cook sugar and water to an amber caramel.
- 16
Carefully dip tops in caramel and let set.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook pastry cream to exactly 185°F (85°C) to fully activate cornstarch's thickening power while avoiding the grainy texture that occurs above 200°F when proteins coagulate too aggressively.technique185°F
- ✓Roll craquelin to 2mm thickness maximum because thicker layers won't crack properly during baking and will create a tough, chewy top instead of the desired crispy texture.technique2mm thickness
- ✓Chill pastry cream for exactly 2-4 hours to reach 40°F, allowing starch molecules to fully set and preventing the cream from breaking when folded with whipped cream.timing2-4 hours at 40°F
- ✓Whip cream to only soft peaks (holds shape but tips fold over) because overwhipping creates a grainy texture that won't fold smoothly into pastry cream, causing lumps in your final filling.techniquesoft peaks
- ✓Freeze craquelin discs for minimum 30 minutes before use so they maintain their shape and don't melt into the choux during the initial high-heat baking phase at 425°F.timing30 minutes minimum
Share this recipe
Prep
120
min
Cook
35
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Vanilla and Caramel Choux
Indulge in these heavenly choux pastries, bursting with luscious vanilla diplomat cream and drizzled with a rich caramel glaze. Perfectly crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, these treats are sure to impress at any gathering. Elevate your dessert game with this delightful combination of textures and flavors!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 150 g water (5.29 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(7)
- 80 g cold butter (5.6 tbsp)
- 120 g butter (8.4 tbsp)
- 180–200 g eggs (6.35 oz)
- 100 g egg yolks (3.53 oz)
- 200 g heavy cream (7.06 oz)
- 150 g milk (5.29 oz)
- 500 g milk (17.6 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(8)
- 50 g cornstarch (1.76 oz)
- 110 g flour (0.88 cup)
- 180 g all-purpose flour (1.44 cup)
- 110 g white sugar (0.55 cup)
- 20 g white sugar (0.1 cup)
- 80 g sugar (0.4 cup)
- 200 g white sugar with a little water (1 cup)
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 7 g salt (0.25 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring milk to a boil. Whisk yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
- 2
Pour hot milk over the yolk mixture, whisk well, then return to saucepan.
- 3
Cook over low–medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.
- 4
Chill the pastry cream for at least 2 hours.
- 5
Whip cream to soft peaks, fold into the cold pastry cream, and transfer to a piping bag.
- 6
Mix all ingredients for the craquelin topping with a paddle attachment until a crumbly dough forms.
- 7
Roll very thin between parchment sheets.
- 8
Cut discs and freeze until use.
- 9
Bring milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil.
- 10
Remove from heat, add flour at once, mix until dough pulls from the sides. Return to low heat for 2 minutes.
- 11
Transfer to mixer, cool slightly, add eggs gradually until smooth choux dough forms.
- 12
Pipe 3 cm rounds and place frozen craquelin discs on top.
- 13
Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 35 minutes.
- 14
Fill baked choux puffs with diplomat cream.
- 15
Cook sugar and water to an amber caramel.
- 16
Carefully dip tops in caramel and let set.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook pastry cream to exactly 185°F (85°C) to fully activate cornstarch's thickening power while avoiding the grainy texture that occurs above 200°F when proteins coagulate too aggressively.technique185°F
- ✓Roll craquelin to 2mm thickness maximum because thicker layers won't crack properly during baking and will create a tough, chewy top instead of the desired crispy texture.technique2mm thickness
- ✓Chill pastry cream for exactly 2-4 hours to reach 40°F, allowing starch molecules to fully set and preventing the cream from breaking when folded with whipped cream.timing2-4 hours at 40°F
- ✓Whip cream to only soft peaks (holds shape but tips fold over) because overwhipping creates a grainy texture that won't fold smoothly into pastry cream, causing lumps in your final filling.techniquesoft peaks
- ✓Freeze craquelin discs for minimum 30 minutes before use so they maintain their shape and don't melt into the choux during the initial high-heat baking phase at 425°F.timing30 minutes minimum