Make the prettiest cream puffs on the block by adding a beautiful layer of craquelin on top! Pair with a decadent chocolate sauce for serving.
If you ever want to wow a crowd with a dessert, make cream puffs. Not only are cream puffs irresistible in flavor, but they’re also so delicate and dainty that nobody will be able to have just one. Plus, you have tons of options for fillings, meaning you can fill them with a variety of rich, sweet concoctions if you like, and your guests can choose their own cream puff sampler plate.
Now, you’ve already impressed everyone by making cream puffs. But what if they had a beautiful layer of crackly, crunchy sweetness on top? You can do this easily by making craquelin—a cookie-like dough rolled super thin—and adding slices of it to adorn your cream puffs before they go in the oven. While they bake, the craquelin sticks to the cream puff dough and cracks as the puffs rise, causing a cracked pattern on the finished puffs.
Fill them with anything you like and drizzle with a chocolate sauce for a sweet treat with a lovely crispness. Or, you can use these to make a croquembouche tower for a special event, like a wedding or baby shower. They’re perfect for any occasion, so keep this recipe nearby!
Fillings for crackle-top cream puffs
Get excited: it’s time for creamy fillings, which is what cream puffs are all about. Though we have suggested vanilla ice cream, you can use any flavor you like. Great ideas include chocolate, caramel, or butter pecan. And if you have time, why not make your own? For another unfussy option, try whipped cream! I’ve seen plenty of whipped cream-stuffed cream puffs in the grocery store bakery, and they’re quite delicious. Pastry cream is another idea. Or, you can go with a diplomat cream, which is basically a mixture of pastry cream and unsweetened whipped cream. Try all the fillings until you find your favorite!
How do I store leftovers?
Though baked puffs are best eaten the day they are made, leftover unfilled cream puffs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Flash-freeze them first for 1 hour to avoid sticking. Reheat them in a 375°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes. If you’ve filled them with ice cream, they need to be stored in the freezer. Just let them sit out at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
It’s worth mentioning that you can freeze unbaked puffs! Pipe the choux pastry onto baking sheets, flash-freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. When you’re ready, bake them from frozen, adding more time if needed.
Serving suggestions
Serve your crackly-top cream puffs with a delicious pour-over sauce! There are plenty out there to choose from, so try as many as you can before you settle on the best one for your taste buds.
The Best Chocolate Sauce Ever: Nothing’s better than a decadent, just-thick-enough chocolate sauce to finish off a batch of cream puffs.
Crème Anglaise: This incredible sauce is basically a pourable custard that is divine on desserts, including cream puffs.
Strawberry Sauce: Add some fruity flavor to your cream puffs with a drizzle of strawberry sauce.
Crackle-Top Cream Puffs
Ingredients
For The Craquelin:
- 4 1/2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- Pinch sea salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
For The Cream Puffs:
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For Serving:
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup chocolate sauce
Instructions
To Make the Craquelin:
- Cut the butter into small pieces and add the rest of the craquelin ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Pat it together and shape it into a disk.
- Between 2 pieces of parchment, roll the disk with a rolling pin to 1/16-inch thickness. Move the dough (still between parchment paper) to a baking sheet, and transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Make The Cream Puffs:
- Bring the milk, butter, water, and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, about 2 minutes. When the mixture reaches a rolling boil, add the flour all at once, and stir quickly until the resulting dough pulls from the sides of the pan. Stir for another minute.
- Add the dough to a stand mixer and let the dough cool for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer on low, then add the eggs one at a time. The dough should be smooth and thick.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag and pipe into 1 1/2-inch dollops, about a 1/2-inch tall, onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave about 2 inches between the puffs.
- Remove the craquelin from the freezer. Cut the dough into circles with a cookie cutter. It should be about the same size as the puff. Add the frozen disks to the tops of each puff.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, rotate pans and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.
- Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
- Slice the puffs in half and fill with the ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate sauce.
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