This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe from Baking Chez Moi is a version of a cream puff/ profiterole that has become quite popular in Paris over the past few years. Little balls of choux pastry topped with a “craquelin” topping (like a sweet shortcrust dough or, in this case, a brown sugar butter cookie dough) that melts and melds to the top of the puff as it bakes. I’ve eaten plenty of these but never made them until now and I’m wondering why I waited!
I always use a cookie scoop these days to scoop out my puffs/ gougères – less waste than disposable bags and easier to clean than reusable piping bags and, to be honest, quicker and much more consistent results (see above). When you’re topping the pastry with perfect rounds of dough, you need consistent sizes of puffs!
But it’s not just the attractive exterior that makes these special… You fill them with whatever you like – whipped cream, pastry cream, even chocolate mousse. I decided to go traditional here and fill them with whipped cream… Check this out…
Uh huh…
My secret here is the special piping tip that helps you fill the cream puff. Like, completely fill it! These rested in the fridge for a couple of hours before I served them and they were SO GOOD they warranted a phone call from a neighbour who had received a few as he passed by the house on his way home. I only made a half batch this time, thankfully because they are very more-ish but I’ll remember these next time I need a dessert for a crowd because they are 1. so easy 2. so impressive and 3. so good. A trifecta!
Get the recipe for Dorie Greenspan’s Crackle-Top Cream Puffs on p226 of Baking Chez Moi.
Tuesdays with Dorie participants don’t publish the recipes on our blogs, so you’re encouraged to purchase Baking Chez Moi for yourself which you can do on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store in your country) or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us, baking our way through the book!
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These were great! My dough kept sticking to the cookie scoop so I just used a spoon, but was still happy with the result. And yep, you have to pipe the filling – they blow up like balloons of deliciousness.
so perfect, and perfectly stuffed– yum!!
Cakelaw in being very British in her understatement: these were stunningly more-ish! (I can’t quote neighbour *exactly*…but let’s just say he was very excited.) 🙂
I am really looking forward to trying these. I was going to make pastry cream but maybe I should use whipped cream like you suggest. Decisions, decisions.
Wow! Look at how full they are! I think I need that piping tip.
Mouthwatering photos!
Yours are perfect…and you are right, consistent on the sizing!!