Pistachio Cream Puffs
These gorgeous Pistachio Cream Puffs are topped with a sweet craquelin topping and piped full of a creamy, nutty Whipped Pistachio White Chocolate Ganache.
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
Craquelin Topping
- 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 7 tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 cup (120g) All Purpose Flour, measured correctly †
Cream Puffs
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, cubed
- 1 tbsp White Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup (120g) All Purpose Flour, measured correctly †
- 4-5 Large Eggs
Whipped Pistachio White Chocolate Ganache
- 600 g Chopped White Chocolate
- 3 cups Heavy Cream
- 4-5 tbsp Pistachio Paste, to desired taste
- (Optional) 1/4 cup Finely Ground Pistachios, for added texture
Instructions
Craquelin Topping
- Add all ingredients into a medium sized bowl, then mash together with a spatula or your fingers until an uniform looking dough forms.
- Place the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper, then roll the dough out to be about 1/8” thick (Try to make it into a perfect rectangle, as it makes cutting out the circles easier later). Place into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, while you make the choux.
Cream Puffs: Making the Choux
- Preheat oven to 475°F. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Also prepare a pastry bag by adding a plain ½” tip.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add milk, water, butter, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add flour in the pot, all at once, and begin to stir very quickly. A ball of dough should form relatively quickly. Continue cooking, stirring vigorously, until a dry film begins to form on the bottom and sides of the saucepan. Remove from heat.
- Place dough into a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat for about 30 seconds to a minute, to cool the dough down. Add one egg and beat until completely incorportated (the dough should look dry again). Continue adding eggs one at a time, ensuring that each is completely incorporated before adding the next, scraping at the sides of the bowl occasionally. After the 4th egg, place remove paddle from mechanism and place deep into the batter, if the batter forms a nice “V” shape off the paddle, it is ready. If the batter still looks thick and does not form a nice “V” then add another egg. Dough should be thick and very sticky, but also shiny and smooth.
Cream Puffs: Piping & Baking
- Add dough to the piping bag, and pipe directly onto parchment lined baking sheets. Pipe about nine equal 2” rounds per baking sheet (about 18 total).
- Cut out 18 rounds out of the cold craquelin topping, about the same diameter as the piped cream puffs. Place each round onto a piped cream puff, lightly pressing it down to secure it.
- Place into the 475°F oven, for exactly 1 minute then immediately turn the oven off. After 9 minutes, turn the oven back on to 350°F, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Rotate pans and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cream puffs are puffed (~ 30 minutes of total baking time). To ensure the cream puffs are finished, remove one of the oven and check if it deflates within 45 seconds – if it deflates they are not finished.
- When done, turn the oven off, and crack the oven 1/3 way open. Allow cream puffs to cool for 30-45 minutes in the cracked oven. Then, remove from oven and allow to cool completely before filling.
Whipped Pistachio White Chocolate Ganache
- Place chopped white chocolate into a medium size mixing bowl, then set aside.
- Place heavy cream into a medium pot over medium heat. Heat until the mixture just begins to come to a low boil. Remove from heat and pour over top of the chopped chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit for 1 minute, then whisk together until all the chocolate has melted and the ganache is very smooth.
- Add the pistachio paste, then whisk again until smooth. Place a piece of plastic wrap over top of the surface of the ganache and place into the fridge to cool for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
- When cooled, place the ganache into your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the ganache until stiff peaks have formed.
- (Optional) For added texture, fold in some finely ground pistachios (you can grind these yourself with you food processor).
- Using a serrate knife, cut off the top of each cream puff. Using a spoon or a piping bag fitted with a star tip, fill each cream puff with whipped chocolate ganache. Then place the top back on and dust with confectioners sugar. Enjoy immediately or keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
† to measure flour correctly, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then level off with a straight edge. Do not pack the flour into the cup, or scoop with the measuring cup straight from the bag/container. Alternatively, weigh the flour (1 cup = 120g or 4oz)