Piedmont Hazelnut & Fleur de Sel Salted Caramel Choux Craquelin

Name: Piedmont Hazelnut & Fleur de Sel Salted Caramel Choux Craquelin
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: French / American Pastry
Ingredients: Craquelin: 80g unsalted European butter (softened); Craquelin: 100g light brown muscovado sugar; Craquelin: 100g all-purpose flour (T55); Craquelin: 1g fine sea salt; Pâte à Choux: 125g whole milk; Pâte à Choux: 125g filtered water; Pâte à Choux: 110g unsalted European butter (cubed); Pâte à Choux: 4g fine sea salt; Pâte à Choux: 5g granulated sugar; Pâte à Choux: 140g bread flour (sifted); Pâte à Choux: 240g whole eggs (approx. 4-5 large eggs, room temperature, whisked); Fleur de Sel Caramel: 150g granulated sugar; Fleur de Sel Caramel: 140g heavy cream (35% fat, warmed); Fleur de Sel Caramel: 40g unsalted butter (cubed, cold); Fleur de Sel Caramel: 4g Fleur de Sel de Guérande; Hazelnut Diplomate Cream: 350g whole milk; Hazelnut Diplomate Cream: 1 Bourbon vanilla bean (split and scraped); Hazelnut Diplomate Cream: 75g egg yolks (approx. 4 yolks); Hazelnut Diplomate Cream: 65g granulated sugar; Hazelnut Diplomate Cream: 30g cornstarch; Hazelnut Diplomate Cream: 120g 100% pure roasted Piedmont hazelnut paste or praliné; Hazelnut Diplomate Cream: 4g sheet gelatin (bloomed in ice water); Hazelnut Diplomate Cream: 200g heavy whipping cream (whipped to medium peaks); Garnish: 50g whole Piedmont hazelnuts (roasted, halved, and candied)

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French Pâtisserie★★★★★ 4.96 (339 reviews)

An exquisite haute pâtisserie masterpiece featuring crisp, caramelized craquelin-capped choux puffs filled with velvety roasted Piedmont hazelnut diplomate cream and a molten core of luscious Guérande fleur de sel caramel.

★ BAKERY TESTED & CERTIFIED📌 Save Pin to Pinterest

✔ BAKERY TESTED & CERTIFIED

Piedmont Hazelnut & Fleur de Sel Salted Caramel Choux Craquelin

★★★★★ 4.96 / 5.0·Oven: 180°C / 350°F

⏱ Prep Time

75 mins

🔥 Cook Time

45 mins

❄ Chill Time

3 hrs

🍽 Servings

12 slices

⚡ Calories

485 kcal

🌡 Temp

180°C

Ingredients

(Tap items to cross off as you bake)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1
Prepare the Craquelin: Cream the softened butter and muscovado sugar together until homogenous. Fold in the sifted flour and salt. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to an even 2mm thickness. Transfer to the freezer for at least 1 hour until completely solid.
2
Prepare the Fleur de Sel Caramel: Dry caramelize the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until deep amber (180°C/356°F). Carefully deglaze with warm heavy cream, whisking vigorously. Cook for 1 minute until smooth, remove from heat, and allow to cool to 50°C (122°F). Emulsify the cold butter and fleur de sel using an immersion blender. Transfer to a piping bag and chill until set.
3
Prepare the Hazelnut Diplomate Cream Base: Heat milk and vanilla caviar in a saucepan until steaming. In a bowl, whisk yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Temper hot milk into the egg mixture, return to heat, and boil for 2 minutes while whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat, whisk in the bloomed gelatin and pure hazelnut paste until emulsified. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill to 18°C (64°F).
4
Finish Diplomate Cream: Smooth the chilled hazelnut pastry cream with a whisk. Gently fold in the medium-peak whipped cream in three additions. Place into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle (Wilton 1A or 2A) and chill for 1 hour.
5
Prepare Pâte à Choux: Bring milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, dump in sifted flour all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon into a panade. Return to medium heat and desiccate the dough for 2 minutes until a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan.
6
Incorporate Eggs: Transfer hot panade to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low for 2 minutes to release steam. Gradually stream in whisked eggs in four additions, mixing well between each, until a smooth, glossy 'V-drop' ribbon texture is achieved.
7
Pipe and Bake: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) static. Pipe 4.5cm domes onto a perforated silicone baking mat (Silpain). Stamp out 4.5cm discs of frozen craquelin and place directly on top of each choux dome. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes without opening the oven door, until deeply golden and structurally rigid. Turn off the oven, prop the door slightly ajar with a wooden spoon, and leave the puffs inside for 10 minutes to dry.
8
Assembly: Once fully cooled, pierce the base of each choux puff with a small nozzle. Pipe hazelnut diplomate cream halfway, inject a generous core of liquid fleur de sel caramel into the center, and finish filling with diplomate cream until packed and heavy. Alternatively, slice the top third off horizontally, fill with caramel, pipe a high ruffled swirl of hazelnut diplomate, replace the craquelin cap, and garnish with candied roasted hazelnut halves.

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CHEF'S GOLDEN BAKING SECRETS:

Never open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking; the sudden drop in temperature and steam escape will cause the choux structure to collapse.
Desiccating the panade thoroughly over medium heat ensures the starch gelatinizes properly and can absorb the maximum amount of egg for maximum puff volume.
Ensure the craquelin is frozen solid before cutting; warm craquelin will stretch and bake unevenly, preventing that signature uniform cracked crust.
Use high-quality Piedmont IGP hazelnuts or stone-ground 100% hazelnut paste to impart the signature deep, luxurious nutty profile that balances the sweet salted caramel.
Assemble choux no more than 3-4 hours prior to service to maintain the contrast between the shattering crisp exterior craquelin and the creamy interior.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (PER SERVING):

Calories

485

Protein

Carbs

38g

Fat

32g

Sugar

26g