Chocolate Chouxnuts

By Sugar Salt Magic · 90 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), fan-off, and line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper.
2. Put the water, 85 g butter, 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
3. Add the 95 g flour and beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Keep beating and stirring for 2 more minutes, until a shiny film forms on the bottom of the pan. Take off the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
4. Beat 3 eggs lightly. Add about a third to the dough and beat in until fully combined (a stand mixer with a paddle also works). Repeat with the rest half at a time.
5. If the dough is not yet smooth and glossy, lightly beat a fourth egg and add it a little at a time, stopping once the dough is smooth and slightly glossy. You may not need all of it.
6. Pipe the dough straight away, using a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm (just over 1/2 inch) large open star or round nozzle.
7. Trace 8 cm (3 1/4 inch) circles on the reverse of the baking paper with a non-toxic marker. Flip the paper onto the baking tray, then pipe circles of dough following the drawn guides, holding the tip about 1.5 cm above the paper.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, without opening the oven, until light golden. Turn the trays and bake another 20 minutes, until golden brown.
9. Take the trays out and, with a chopstick or small knife, make two small holes opposite each other in the base of each chouxnut.
10. Turn the oven off, put the puffs back in with the door wedged open, and rest them for 30 minutes.
11. Remove and cool to room temperature before filling and topping.
12. Make the chocolate crème pâtissière, let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a large piping bag with a long puff nozzle. Pipe through the holes in the base of each chouxnut, filling until you feel slight resistance, then fill from the other side.
13. Combine the 150 g dark chocolate, 57 g butter and 1 tablespoon glucose syrup (or light corn syrup) in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. A bain-marie also works.
14. Dip the tops of the chouxnuts in the chocolate glaze and set them upright on a wire rack. They can be eaten soon or chilled.

Summarized from Sugar Salt Magic's video. Watch it for the details.