Chocolate Espresso Cream Puffs

These Chocolate Espresso Cream Puffs also known as profiteroles consist of a mocha custard that is silky and delicately sweet. These choux au craquelin are extremely light and airy in texture and packed with a mocha flavor. You can easily customise the pastry cream in them to any flavor of your choice. These round and tall choux au craquelins are very quick to make and perfect for any tea party you’re hosting. Be ready to become the star of the evening in no time! 

Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Unsalted butter: It is very important to have your butter at room temperature. You can ensure this by lightly pressing your finger on the block of butter. It should slightly leave an imprint. I also prefer to use unsalted butter because salted butters have varying amounts of salt content in them and it is always a good idea to add it on your own and avoid your bakes from being too salty.
• Granulated Sugar: This will add sweetness to your choux au craquelin and will also help it hold the required shape and structure. 
• All-purpose flour: I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accurate recipe results. If you’re using cups, don’t scoop your cup into the flour. Spoon the flour into your cup and level it off with the back of a knife. 
• Eggs: Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature before mixing in. Eggs strengthen the binding of your choux pastries and also add moisture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your pastry dough. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
• Egg yolks: Adding only egg yolks helps to give your pastry cream a wonderful rich flavor, texture and moisture. Make sure to have them at room temperature before adding them into your pastry cream. This makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly. Be careful to separate the yolks from the whites completely.
• Milk: I highly recommend only using whole (full-fat) milk in your pastry cream. Any other milk will make your pastry cream runny due to a high water content. 
• Vanilla: You must use a high quality pure vanilla extract in your recipes. This helps to add a rich flavor to your baked goods. Pure vanilla extracts are typically dark brown in color. This enhances the flavor of all ingredients and you should never leave this out.
• Espresso Powder: It is very important to use a good quality espresso powder. Along with adding a coffee flavor, it will also help enhance the flavor of chocolate in your pastry cream.
• Chocolate: I highly recommend using good quality baking chocolate chips or chocolate bars (I use callebaut) to ensure the best flavor. This will also help you get a very silky and shiny pastry cream.

Some Notes:

Some other tips to make this recipe:

• Make sure to never open your oven door while these choux au craquelins aka profiteroles are baking. This can cause them to deflate and sink.
• Use a sharp knife to slice them for filling in the pastry cream. Make sure to only slice them once they are completely cooled. You can also fill the pastry cream inside them by creating a hole at the bottom of the choux pastry and filling them.  
• I don’t recommend storing them for the next day as they tend to become soggy and are best eaten fresh. If you need to store them, I recommend doing so without filling them with pastry cream and heating them in the oven or an air fryer for 5 minutes until they are crisp again.
• I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer and a kitchen scale. Baking at accurate temperatures and weighing your ingredients correctly ensure that you can replicate the recipes perfectly and enjoy the best flavors.

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Espresso Cream Puffs

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• Author: Shambhavi
• Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 12 cream puffs 1x

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Description

These Chocolate Espresso Cream Puffs consist of a mocha custard that is silky and delicately sweet. These choux au craquelin are extremely light and airy in texture and packed with a mocha flavor. These round and tall choux au craquelins are very quick to make and perfect for any tea party you’re hosting. Be ready to become the star of the evening in no time! 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Craquelin

• 60 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 60 g all purpose flour

Choux pastry

• 130 ml drinking water, at room temperature
• 50 g unsalted butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 70 g all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

Mocha pastry cream

• 6 egg yolks, at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons ice cold water
• 4 tablespoons dark chocolate chips or chunks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

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Instructions

Craquelin

1. In a large bowl mix together the unsalted butter and granulated sugar using a silicone spatula until the mixture is smooth and silky.
2. Add in the all purpose flour and mix until the flour is fully incorporated.
3. Cut 2 parchment paper square sheets of about 20″ length and place your craquelin dough between them.
4. Roll the dough from above the parchment papers using a rolling pin until the dough is 2-3 mm thick.
5. Freeze the dough along with the parchment papers for 20 minutes or until it is firm enough to hold its shape.

Choux Pastry

1. While the craquelin is freezing, add water, butter and salt to a preferably nonstick saucepan. Place the saucepan on medium heat and cook. Keep whisking continuously when on heat. The butter will eventually melt. Remove from heat as soon as the mixture comes starts to boil.
2. Add flour into the hot mixture and mix using a silicone spatula until a smooth and silky dough is formed.
3. Return the saucepan to heat and cook the dough on medium heat for about 90 seconds or until not stick for a nonstick saucepan. Do not undercook the dough.
4. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the dough cool for 15 minutes.
5. Break the eggs into the mixture, one at a time and mix until they are fully incorporated.
6. The mixture should be of a pipable consistency. If the dough is too runny, let it chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before proceeding.
7. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe in the shape of choux pastries (a small circle on top of a big circle). The piped pastries are approximately the size of a macaron. I usually pipe them on my macaron mat.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes.
2. Take out the craquelin from the freezer and using a pastry cutter cut circles of the size of the piped pastry and place them over the piped mixture. Repeat for all pastries.
3. Bake the choux au craquelins for 20 minutes rotating halfway through.
4. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before picking them up and slicing them.

Mocha Pastry Cream

1. Add the milk to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Remove it from the heat as soon as it starts to bubble.
2. While the milk is being heated, in a separate bowl, mix the sugar, egg yolks cornstarch and salt. Whisk them together until you have a thick, smooth mix.
3. Slowly pour about half of the hot milk into the egg mix while whisking constantly to temper the egg mix and avoid any lumps. When the eggs have been tempered, transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. This is now our custard base.
4. Heat the custard base over medium heat while whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken, about 1-2 minutes. Remove mixture from the heat.
5. In a separate microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Microwave the mixture in 20 second intervals stirring vigorously in between. Repeat until all the chocolate and butter have completely melted. Add this to the prepared pastry cream and mix well until combined.
6. In a small bowl add the espresso powder and cold water. Mix well to combine both. It is okay if the powder doesn’t completely dissolve. Add this mixture to the pastry cream and mix well until fully combined.
7. Transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag and let it chill in the refrigerator for atleast an hour or overnight before piping.
8. Slice the choux pastries horizontally and pipe the pastry cream in between.
9. Store choux pastries in the refrigerator for upto a week.

Notes

• Make sure to never open your oven door while these choux au craquelins aka profiteroles are baking. This can cause them to deflate and sink.
• Use a sharp knife to slice them for filling in the pastry cream. Make sure to only slice them once they are completely cooled. You can also fill the pastry cream inside them by creating a hole at the bottom of the choux pastry and filling them.  
• I don’t recommend storing them for the next day as they tend to become soggy and are best eaten fresh. If you need to store them, I recommend doing so without filling them with pastry cream and heating them in the oven for 5 minutes until they are crisp again.
• You must put the pastries into the oven immediately after assembling them with the craquelin. The craquelin can start melting if allowed to rest for a long period of time and not result in the desired texture.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Dessert, Cream Puffs, Mocha
• Cuisine: French

Keywords: chocolate, choux pastry, coffee, craquelin, cream puffs, espresso, french pastry, choux au craquelin, mocha, pastry cream, profiteroles