Ingredients

Method

For the craquelin:
• 4 T butter , softened
• 4 T light brown sugar
• 4 T flour , plus extra for rolling
For the buns:
• 1 cup water
• 100 g butter
• ½ t salt
• 140 g flour
• 4 free-range eggs
For the filling:
• 100 g brown sugar
• 3 T cornflour
• 4 free-range egg yolks
• 3 T Woolworths espresso instant coffee
• 2 cups milk
• 2 T butter 2 T
• ½ cup cream

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix all the ingredients for the craquelin until a soft, cookie-like dough forms. Roll out to a thickness of 2 mm between two layers of baking paper. Place in the freezer while making the buns.

2. To make the buns, place the water and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil with the lid on. Add the salt and flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until everything comes together in a ball. Stir over a high heat for 3 minutes.

3. Remove the dough from the pot and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating well each time using a wooden spoon. At first it might appear as if the eggs are not being incorporated, but keep going.

4. Line a baking tray with baking paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet or pipe the mixture for a more refined puff. Place them about 2 cm apart.

5. Use a round cookie cutter with a diameter of 4 cm to cut circles out of the frozen craquelin dough. Place a dough circle on top of each choux puff. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Reduce the oven’s temperature to 80°C and bake for 20 minutes. Cool the puffs in the oven to ensure a crisp texture.

6. To make the filling, mix the sugar, cornflour, egg yolks and coffee in a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup milk and whisk until well combined. Bring the remaining milk and the butter to the boil in a saucepan. Add to the coffee mixture and mix well. Return to the saucepan and whisk over a high heat until a thick custard forms, about 5–6 minutes. Remove from the heat and chill until cooled.

7. Beat the cream until soft peaks form, then fold it into the cooled custard.

8. Cut the tops off the choux buns. Pipe the filling onto the bottom halves and place the tops onto the filling. Decorate with small dollops of filling before serving.

Find more pastry recipes here

Photographs: Jan Ras
 Production: Abigail Donnelly 
 Food Assistant: Vikayla Govender and Cheri Kustner