Description
A delightful twist on classic tiramisu combining the lightness of choux pastry with the rich creaminess of mascarpone and espresso-flavored whipped cream, topped with a crunchy craquelin and dusted with cocoa powder. This elegant dessert is perfect for serving at gatherings, offering a perfect balance of textures and flavors in bite-sized portions.
Ingredients
Craquelin
- 100 g Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 100 g Cane sugar
- 100 g All-purpose flour
Choux Pastry
- 60 g Unsalted butter
- 60 g Water
- 60 g Whole milk
- Large pinch of salt
- ½ Tablespoon Granulated sugar
- 70 g Bread flour (high protein flour)
- 110 g Egg (may need slightly more or less)
Whipped Mascarpone Cream
- 240 g Heavy cream (36% fat, very cold)
- 300 g Mascarpone (full fat)
- 60 g Icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon Espresso (chilled)
Finishing
- Cocoa powder (unsweetened for dusting)
Instructions
- Prepare Craquelin: Cream together the butter and cane sugar until combined, then gradually add the all-purpose flour and mix until a dough forms. If the mixture feels too soft, chill it in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up the butter.
- Roll out Craquelin Dough: Roll the dough between two perforated baking mats to about 2 mm thickness. Place the rolled dough with the mats into the freezer for at least one hour. If the dough becomes sticky during rolling, chill it briefly and continue until the desired thickness is achieved.
- Mix Choux Pastry Dough: Sift the bread flour and set it aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, water, whole milk, salt, and granulated sugar. When the mixture boils, remove from heat and add all the flour at once, whisking vigorously to form a smooth dough without flour lumps.
- Cook Choux Dough: Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook the dough, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes until a skin forms on the bottom, indicating the dough is ready.
- Incorporate Eggs: Transfer dough to a bowl and cool slightly. Gradually add eggs in small amounts, whisking consistently after each addition. The final dough consistency should be smooth and pipeable, neither too runny nor too firm.
- Pipe Choux Buns: Pipe 20 equal-sized buns onto a baking mat, spacing them well to allow puffing. Freeze the tray for at least 10 minutes to firm up the shape.
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 200°C (392°F).
- Cut Craquelin Circles: Remove craquelin sheet from the freezer and use a cookie cutter to cut 20 circles slightly larger than the choux buns.
- Top Choux with Craquelin: Place one frozen craquelin disk on each frozen choux bun. The firm, frozen craquelin makes handling easier.
- Freeze Assembled Buns: Return the tray with choux buns topped with craquelin to the freezer for 15 minutes to ensure firmness before baking.
- Bake Choux Pastry: Reduce oven temperature to 170°C (338°F) and bake for 40 minutes. Do not open the oven door during the first 30 minutes. Check doneness by ensuring buns are golden, puffed, and not deflating when cooled; the center can be slightly moist but should not be raw.
- Cool Buns: Cool the baked choux buns on a perforated baking mat or on a cooling rack if baked on parchment paper.
- Prepare Whipped Mascarpone Cream: Using an electric hand mixer, whip the cold mascarpone, very cold heavy cream, and icing sugar together until smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Avoid over-beating to prevent the cream from becoming runny.
- Make Coffee Frosting: Mix one-quarter of the whipped cream mixture with chilled strong espresso to create coffee-flavored frosting.
- Assemble Tiramisu Choux: Cut the top off each choux bun. Pipe coffee-flavored cream followed by the plain mascarpone whipped cream into the buns.
- Finish and Serve: Dust the assembled choux buns with unsweetened cocoa powder. They are best served immediately but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one day.
Notes
- When adding eggs to the choux dough, add slowly and adjust the amount to achieve the correct piping consistency.
- If the craquelin dough becomes sticky while rolling, briefly chill before continuing.
- Do not open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking to ensure proper puffing.
- Choux buns are best enjoyed fresh after filling to maintain texture but can be refrigerated for a day.
- Using perforated baking mats helps with even baking and cooling.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
