Neopolitan Cream Puffs
8 cream puffs
Servings 8
Ingredients
Chocolate craquelin
- ½ cup butter, cut into small pieces (113 grams)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (67 grams)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (74 grams)
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (15 grams)
Cream puffs
- ¼ cup butter (57 grams)
- ½ cup water (125 ml)
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (74 grams)
- 2 large eggs
Roasted strawberries
- 1 lb strawberries, halved
- 2 tablespoons honey
- pinch of salt
Vanilla custard
- 2 cups milk (500 ml)
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup cornstarch (32 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 tablespoons butter (28 grams)
Instructions
- Make the chocolate craquelin. Use a food processor to pulse together ½ cup butter with ⅓ cup brown sugar just until combined. Add ½ cup flour, a pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, and pulse until combined. Shape the dough into a disc and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out until ⅛-inch thick and chill in the fridge for 1 hour or in the freezer for 30 minutes. Cut out 8 circles about 2 inches in diameter and keep the craquelin in the fridge until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the cream puffs. Combine ¼ cup butter with ½ cup water and a pinch of salt in a heavy saucepan. Heat over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat to low and add ½ cup flour to the butter water mixture. Beat with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Remove from heat and add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next.
- Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet for a total of 8 cream puffs. Top the cream puffs with the chocolate craquelin and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. The shells should sound hollow when done. Cool the shells completely on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Increase the oven temperature back to 425 degrees F. Toss 1 lb strawberries with 2 tablespoon honey and a pinch of salt. Spread on a lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until softened and jammy. Let cool.
- Make the vanilla custard. Heat 2 cups milk and the seeds of 1 vanilla pod in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until simmering.
- Whisk together 2 yolks and 1 egg with ¼ cup cornstarch, and ½ cup sugar in a large bowl. Slowly pour the hot milk in the yolk mixture in a stream, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until thick, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve and cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface. Let cool completely. Gently stir in the roasted strawberries.
- Cut tops of the shells. Top the bottom halves with fresh sliced strawberries and fill each cream puff with the strawberry vanilla custard. Top with the top buns and serve.