Choux Puffs Filled With Chocolate Cremeux

Choux puffs that are filled with a light chocolate cremeux are my absolute favorite right now. Having nicely puffed choux is ideal and super satisfying and my recipe below will help you achieve that!

This is a choux puff that is  filled with a homemade chocolate cremeux filling, and topped with a colorful macaron and more. You can add any decoration of your preference, some others could include nuts, cookies, etc.

Choux pastry is derived from the French term “pate a choux”. Choux means “cabbage” in French. No this doesn’t contain cabbage but it mimics the look of tiny cabbages, with wrinkles on top, hence the name.

Choux pastry is used to make a variety of pastries, including cream puffs, eclairs, churros, beignets, and so much more. Once you master the process you have endless possibilities for delicious desserts! 

A Little Bit of Choux Pastry Science

This dough is particularly interesting because it is cooked twice, first on the stove, then in the oven. Given its high moisture it rises and puffs up many times its original size when baked. Flour types with higher percentage of protein is therefore needed to hold up the structure of the puff. 

Make sure to check out the science of macarons, as well.

Ingredients Needed

• Butter
• Salt
• Flour
• Eggs
• Milk
• Heavy Cream
• Granulated Sugar
• Dark Chocolate
• Macaron

Pate a Choux

Start by preheating the oven and lining sheet trays with parchment paper.

Add butter, salt and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Remove from the heat and add in the flour (and cocoa powder, if using), and mix until fully mixed. The texture will be like mashed potatoes.

Place the pan back on the heat and cook on medium, stirring constantly until the dough sizzles and a film forms on the bottom of the pan.

Remove from the heat and place the dough in a stand mixer. Mix until the temperature ranges from 140-160 degrees F.

Then add the egg one at a time, mixing well, and scraping sides.

Add the dough to a piping bag and use a circle tip. Then pipe a big dollop to make the choux puff..

Add craquelin on top of each choux and bake as directed.

Craquelin

Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Then add the flour in two additions.

Add color if you would like, mixing to combine.

Form a disc and place on parchment paper, then cover the disc with another layer of parchment paper.

Roll using a rolling pin to ⅛inch thick. Then freeze for 10 minutes.

Use a cookie cutter that is slightly bigger than the piped pate-a-choux, cut craquelin discs and place on top of the piped choux.

Work fast as it softens quickly, particularly during the hot summer days, if needed, place back in the freezer for a few minutes.

Chocolate Cremeux

Chop your chocolate into small pieces.

In a saucepan add the milk and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer.

Add egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl and mix until airy and a ribbon consistency.

Once the milk is ready, you will temper the two mixtures by slowly adding the milk/heavy cream into the eggs while whisking, and then place back on the heat on low, cook the eggs until 84C or when the mixture thickens.. Then pour the chocolate in and mix well to combine.

Cover with plastic and let cool in the fridge.

Assembly

Cut the bottom of the puff, and fill with the chocolate cremeux with a piping bag.

Then place the choux upside down on a serving plate. Pipe some cremeux to act like the glue.

Cover with a spiral chocolate disc, and a macaron. You can decorate even more with a chocolate feather, or with any decorations of your preference.

Storing Leftovers

If you do not eat these all right away make sure to keep them refrigerated in an airtight container. They will store in the fridge until you are ready to eat. 

More Recipes

• Cranberry Walnut Entremet
• Checkerboard Cookies
• Rose Macarons
• Old Fashioned Butter Cookies

Printable Recipe Card

Choux Puffs

Fred Csibi-Levin

Whip up a batch of these Choux Puffs. They are a classic choux puffs with a light chocolate cremeux. This is a decadent dessert with an intricate design.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 2 trays

Ingredients

  

Pate a choux recipe:

• 8 oz cold water
• 3.5 oz butter
• 0.12 oz salt
• 5.25 oz flour 10%of this can be replaced by cocoa powder for chocolate puffs
• 3-4 eggs

Craquelin recipe:

• 50 g for each of the following:
• Butter sugar, flour
• Add any coloring of interest.

Chocolate cremeux recipe:

• 150 g whole milk
• 150 g heavy cream 36-40% fat
• 45 g granulated sugar
• 57 g egg yolks
• 150 g dark chocolate high quality, minimum 55% cocoa butter

Instructions

 

Pate a choux recipe:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper or a perforated mat.
• Place butter, salt and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil
• Remove from the heat, add flour and cocoa powder (if using) and mix well with a spatula. The mixture will look like mashed potatoes
• Bring back to the heat, cook on medium while constantly stirring until the dough starts to sizzle and a film develops on the bottom of the pan
• Remove from the heat and place in the bowl of a stand mixer
• Decrease the temperature to 140-160F by mixing with a paddle attachment
• Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bowls after mixing and combine with the dough in the bottom of the bowl.
• Repeat until the dough is shiny, smooth and pipeable
• Place the dough in a piping bag fitted with a circle tip.
• Pipe in a circular shape pate a choux of the same size.
• Add craquelin on top of each choux
• Bake in the oven for 30-40min, do not open the door of the oven until the choux are fully puffed.
• Let cool completely

Craquelin recipe:

• Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and mix well
• Add flour in two additions and mix until combined
• Add color of interest and mix well
• Form a disc and place on top of a parchment paper, cover the disc with another layer of parchment paper and roll using a rolling pin to a ⅛in
• Place in the freezer for 10min
• Remove from the freezer and cut using a cookie cutter of similar size or slightly bigger than the piped pate-a-choux
• Place the craquelin disc on top of the piped choux.
• Work fast as the craquelin gets soft very quickly at room temp, if needed, place back in the freezer.

Chocolate cremeux recipe:

• Chop the chocolate into small pieces
• In a saucepan combine the milk and heavy cream and bring to a simmer
• While the milk/cream heats combine the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl, whisk until airy and ribbon consistency
• Temper the two mixtures:
• Slowly pour the hot milk/cream over the egg yolks/sugar while constantly whisking.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Heat on low while whisking until the mixture thickens and the temperature is 84C.
• Immediately pour the mixture over the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl
• Mix well using a spatula until combined. Cover with plastic film and let cool.
• Place in the fridge for storage

Assembly:

• Cut the bottom of the puff using a bread or serrated knife
• Fill with the chocolate cremeux using a piping bag
• Place the choux upside down (craquelin toward the bottom) on a serving plate. Pipe a dollop of cremeux to “glue” the choux
• Cover with a chocolate spiral disc, made with either tempered chocolate or candy melts (wafers) piped on a Tourbillin midi 28 silicon spiral mold from Silikomart.
• Place a macaron filled with filling of choice on top, see my macaron recipes for ideas

Optional Feather

• Add a chocolate feather made as:
• Place a small amount of tempered chocolate or candy melts on top of a strip of acetate, using the tip of a paring knife slightly push the chocolate toward you while gently removing it from the acetate to make the shape of the feather

Keyword choux puffs, choux puffs with chocolate, craquelin