Individual choux crowns with craquelin and flaked almonds, filled with praliné mousseline. Crème mousseline = crème pâtissière beaten with soft butter and praline paste — it must be piped at 18-20°C or it splits. Yield: 12 individual rings at 9 cm. Assembled pieces hold 24 hours at 2-4°C.
Yield: 12 portions · Prep 120 min · Bake 45 min
Ingredients
125 ml water (choux)
125 ml full cream milk (choux)
110 g unsalted butter (choux)
5 g caster sugar (choux)
4 g fine sea salt
140 g plain flour (choux)
225 g whole egg (choux)
60 g unsalted butter (craquelin)
75 g brown sugar (craquelin)
75 g plain flour (craquelin)
500 ml full cream milk (mousseline)
80 g egg yolk (mousseline)
100 g caster sugar (mousseline)
45 g cornflour
250 g unsalted butter (mousseline, soft)
200 g hazelnut praline paste
50 g flaked almonds
20 g icing sugar (dusting)
Method
Craquelin Paddle butter, brown sugar, and flour to a smooth paste. Roll 1.5 mm thin between papers, freeze flat, and cut 12 rings matching the choux circles. Craquelin guarantees even expansion and an all-over crackled crust.
Choux rings Make the choux paste per the foundation method. Pipe 9 cm rings with a 12 mm star tip on perforated mats, scatter flaked almonds, and lay a frozen craquelin ring on each.
Bake Bake at 165°C fan for 40-45 minutes until deep golden brown and dry at the interior ridge. Do not open the oven in the first 30 minutes. Cool completely, then split horizontally with a serrated knife, top third off.
Praliné mousseline Make the crème pâtissière base and chill it fully. Beat soft butter (18-20°C) until light, add the praline paste, then add the smooth cold pastry cream in three additions, beating until the mousseline is homogeneous, light, and holds a sharp ridge. If it splits, warm the bowl edge briefly and re-beat.
Assembly Pipe the mousseline into the bases in tall rosettes with a 12 mm star tip — the piping IS the presentation. ~85g per piece. Set the lids on without pressing.
Finish and hold Dust lightly with icing sugar. Hold at 2-4°C; pull to temper 20 minutes before service — mousseline eats best just under room temperature, when the praline aroma opens up.