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Home » Recipes » Choux pastry

Apple Pie Choux au craquelin

Published: Sep 17, 2021 by Katalin Nagy · This post may contain affiliate links. This blog generates income via ads. Please read our Disclosures.

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This Apple Pie Choux au craquelin (crispy cream puff) is the perfect combination of American Apple pie and French Choux pastry, a showstopper dessert that will be the start this Fall! I love how the crispy Choux au craquelin bonds with the creamy homemade Apple pie filling while the whipped mascarpone on top balances the flavors. Its delicate texture and delicious flavor will certainly impress everyone, try it!

Apple pie choux au craquelin on a baking papaer.
Apple Pie Choux au craquelin is the ultimate French & American dessert for this Fall or Thanksgiving
Jump to:
  • 📝 Ingredient notes
  • 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
  • 🍰 More Choux pastry recipes
  • Apple Pie Choux au craquelin

📝 Ingredient notes

For the Choux buns (crispy cream puff)

Choux pastry ingredients.
  1. Milk: Whole milk is the best, definitely avoid using milk substitutes for this recipe unless you are aware of how to reformulate the recipe
  2. Sugar: This choux dough is made using granulated sugar. While heating the mixture up make sure sugar fully dissolves. If you want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my  sugar guide
  3. Water: The milk-water ratio in this Pâte à choux recipe is 50-50%. If you are more experienced, feel free to play around with different ratios
  4. Salt: An essential ingredient in most of dessert recipes. Salt balances the flavor and enhances other ingredients, in the choux pastry recipe it also contributes to the right texture
  5. Butter: Use always unsalted as you want to be in control of the quantity of the salt. I am using 82% fat content butter in all my recipes.
  6. Flour: Make sure to use high protein content bread flour to achieve that lovely huge air pocket. I am using a 12% protein content flour, and get very poor results with low protein pastry flour. If you want to be a Pro when it comes to deciding what type of flour to use in your baking, please read my flour guide
  7. Egg: Room temperature as always. I will have special notes on the quantity of the egg at a later stage of this recipe
  8. Sugar: Many recipes use light brown sugar for the craquelin layer, however, I recommend cane sugar for the signature velvet texture.
  9. Flour: Simple all purpose flour works perfectly fine for the craquelin
  10. Butter: Unsalted room temperature butter is the best for craquelin

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

For the homemade apple pie filling

Apple filling ingredients.
Ingredients for the Apple pie filling
  1. Apple: Almost any apple can work to make the filling of this Apple Pie Choux au craquelin recipe
  2. Lemon juice: Lemon juice and its acidity is balancing the flavors in the Apple pie filling, you will need freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
  3. Sugar: Use either granulated or brown sugar. Brown sugar gives more molasses flavor, while the benefit of granulated sugar is that it keeps the filling light in color
  4. Spice:  You are absolutely free to use your favorite spices eg. cinnamon, cardamon, vanilla bean, pumpkin spice. I decided to go with cinnamon this time but feel free to experiment

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

For the whipped mascarpone frosting

Whipped mascarpone ingredients.
whipped mascarpone ingredients
  1. Mascarpone: Very rich Italian cream cheese, exceptionally smooth and easy to spread or whip. The flavor is milky and slightly sweet.  Use at room temperature.
  2. Heavy cream: Also known as whipping cream, has a fat content of between 36% and 40%, the one I am using is 36%. Use it very cold and do not substitute with vegetable-based “whipping cream”
  3. Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar or icing sugar is the first choice when it comes to whipping up the frosting. The question I often get is whether the quantity is a typo. NO, it´s not! You do not actually need a lot of sugar when making cupcake frosting! It stays beautifully fluffy without tons of sugar, the secret is the technique of whipping, not the amount of sugar

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

I have a very detailed tutorial choux au craquelin tutorial that contains tons of useful information about the choux dough, how to pipe it, how to bake it, what equipment is needed etc., I even have a Troubleshooting guide in case something goes wrong. Please make sure you read that recipe first.

1. How to prepare the choux buns

For making any choux pastry whether it is Paris-Brest, eclair, or this choux bun, you have to start with a cooked dough.

  • Heat butter, milk, water, sugar and salt mixture until simmering
  • Remove the mixture from the heat, and add the flour in one go the whisk vigorously
  • Place the mixture back on the stove and cook the dough (the so-called panade) for a few minutes (2-3minutes) over medium heat mixing constantly
  • The cooking process of the panade is ready when some moisture evaporates from the dough and by then there should be a thin skin formed on the bottom of the saucepan
  • Remove the mixture from the stove, let is slightly come to room temperature, then start mixing the egg in slowly while the mixer is on
  • Then, move dough into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle top and pipe 20 identical buns on a baking sheet or perforated baking mat

💡 Top Tip: Apply the “V test”: the dough is ready when it slowly falls down from the paddle attachment in a V shape. Slowly is key here, it should not be too runny, or you might find it difficult to pipe

Choux pastry  process
Mixing choux pastry ingredients in a stand mixer.
Add eggs in very slowly while the mixer is on, until the dough falls off very slowly in a V shape
Piping  Choux pastry on a perforated baking mat.
Pipe the choux buns onto Perforated “air” baking mat that provides even baking due to air circulation through the mat. Try to pipe evenly while holding the piping bag vertically.

2. How to make the craquelin disk

The craquelin recipes consist of only 3 ingredients (butter, sugar, flour), however, it might take some practice to learn how to utilize the temperature for our benefit.

  • Cream room temp butter and sugar together then add the flour.  If the mixture is too soft place it into the freezer for a few minutes for the butter to harden a bit.
  • When the craquelin dough hardens a bit, roll it out between two silicone baking mats into 2 mm thick then place the rolled-out sheet into the freezer with silicone mats on it for minimum of an hour
  • Take the craquelin sheet out from the freezer and with the help of a cookie cutter cut out 20 circles
  • Take the choux buns out of the freezer and place one craquelin disk on each of them.
  • Pop the tray with the choux buns back into the freezer for 15 min

💡 Top Tip: The craquelin disk should be slightly larger in diameter than the choux buns you piped

cut out of the  Craquelin and apply on the Choux  dough.

3. How to bake

I bake the choux buns for 40 minutes at 170C / 338F (no fan), but you need to test and try your own oven.

Overall, I suggest starting with my baking suggestions however each oven is different, you have to find what works best for you.

💡 Top Tip: It is a good idea to take one out at 40 min, and wait for a minute to see whether they collapse, if not, very likely that they are well baked.

Choux Au Craquelin before and after baking.

4. How to make whipped mascarpone

Using the right ingredients at the right temperature is extremely important while making whipped cream cupcake frosting.

1. for the mascarpone, use the full-fat version (41%+) 2. heave creamy needs to be very cold (pop it into the freezer for a few minutes before using it) and again, full-fat version so anywhere between 36-40% 3. icing sugar has to be sifted to avoid lumps 4. do not over whip the mixture

Once you are happy with the consistency of your frosting, move frosting into a piping bag fitted with your favorite nozzle tip, the one I am using is Wilton 1M piping nozzle tip to decorate these lovely Apple Pie Choux au craquelin desserts.

💡 Top Tip: If you do not have heavy, the recipe also works with full fat cream cheese eg. Philadephia.

making the whipped mascarpone with an electric stand mixer.
One key part of the whipped mascarpone is do not over whip!

5. How to make homemade apple pie filling

Making apple pie filling could not be easier, it literally comes together in less than 10 minutes!

  1. Peel and cut apples into small identical chunks
  2. In a saucepan, mix apple pieces with brown sugar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and your chosen spice(s), and cook the mixture over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the apple pieces are slightly cooked and some water evaporates from the mixture
  3. The cooking time largely depends on your stove, saucepan, and type of apples you use. Please check the apple consistency and do not stick to the 5 minutes mark, do overcook your apple filling.

💡 Top Tip: Cool the apple filling to room temperature before filling the choux buns

Choux pastry, apple filling and mascarpone on a table.
Making Homemade Apple pie filling is super quick and easy

6. How to assemble

I recommend making the choux buns first then while they are in the oven, prepare the Apple Pie filling. Once choux buns and also the Apple Pie filling is at room temp, prepare the whipped mascarpone frosting as per instructions.

  1. Cut the top of each choux bun
  2. Fill choux buns with the Apple Pie filling
  3. Prepare the whipped mascarpone frosting as per instructions and pipe on top of each choux bun, I am using Wilton 1M piping nozzle tip
  4. Decorate the cupcakes with some further Apple pie filling in the middle of the frosting

💡 Top Tip: They must be filled straight before serving as the filling quickly soften the choux buns

Apple CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN assembly.

🍰 More Choux pastry recipes

  • Tiramisu CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN.
    Tiramisu Choux au craquelin
  • choux au craquelin.
    Choux au craquelin (crispy cream puff)
  • CRÈME BRÛLÉE CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN.
    Ultimate Crème Brûlée Choux au craquelin
  • Paris brest.
    Paris-Brest (VIDEO)
  • Eclair.
    The Perfect Eclair recipe
Spatula desserts

Have you tried this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your dessert turned out and your feedback also helps other Readers!

Apple Pie Choux au Craquelin.

Apple Pie Choux au craquelin

This Apple Pie Choux au craquelin (crispy cream puff) is the perfect combination of American Apple pie and French Choux pastry, a showstopper dessert that will be the start this Fall!
5 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 1 hour hour
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Waiting time: 2 hours hours
Total Time: 4 hours hours
Servings: 20 choux buns
Calories: 281kcal
Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

  • Digital scale
  • Digital oven thermometer
  • Rubber spatula
  • Hand whisk
  • Stand mixer
  • Silicone baking mat
  • Perforated "air" baking mat
  • Rolling pin
  • Piping bag
  • Wilton 1M piping nozzle tip

Ingredients

For the choux bun

  • 60 g (⅓ cups) Unsalted butter
  • 60 g (¼ cups) Water
  • 60 g (¼ cups) Whole milk
  • Large pinch of salt
  • ½ Tablespoon Granulated sugar
  • 70 g (½ cups) Bread flour high protein flour
  • 110 g (½ cups) Egg might need slightly more or less, pls see tips above

For the craquelin

  • 100 g (½ cups) Unsalted butter room temperature
  • 100 g (½ cups) Cane sugar
  • 100 g (¾ cups) AP flour

Apple Pie filling

  • 600 g (5 cups) Apple measure after cleaned and cut into small pieces
  • 150 g (¾ cups) Granulated sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon Spice eg. cinnamon, ginger, etc.

Whipped mascarpone

  • 240 g (1 cups) Heavy Cream 36% fat, use it very cold
  • 300 g (1⅓ cups) Mascarpone full fat
  • 60 g (½ cups) Icing sugar

US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.

Instructions

Craquelin

  • Creaming butter and sugar together then add the flour.  If the mixture is too soft place it into the freezer for few minutes for the butter to harden a bit.
  • When the craquelin dough harden a bit, roll it out between two perforated "air" baking mat into 2 mm thick then place the rolled out sheet into the freezer with perforated "air" baking mat on it for minimum an hour. If at any point, during rolling the dough, it gets too sticky, place it into the freezer for a minute or two then continue rolling until reaches 2mm of thickness.

Choux bun

  • Continue with the choux pastry by sifting flour then measure and set aside
  • Place butter, water, milk, salt and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat
  • As soon as the mixture starts to boil remove from heat, add the flour in one go and whisk vigorously with a Rubber spatula until it forms one smooth ball and flour bits are not visible
  • Place the saucepan back to the stove and cook the dough for about 3 min over medium heat mixing constantly. It is ready when a sort of skin forms on the bottom up the saucepan
  • Transfer the dough into a bowl and let it cool down slightly before mixing the egg in. Only add a small amount of egg at a time, consistently whisking after each addition. You should reach a consistency which is not too runny, not too firm but just fine to pipe. Pls see tips above
  • Pipe 20 equal sized buns on the baking mat leaving enough space in between them, as they will puff, then place the tray into the freezer for 10 min at least
  • Pre-heat oven to 200 C / 392 F
  • Take the craquelin sheet out from the freezer and with the help of a cookie cutter cut out 20 circles, slightly larger in diameter than the choux buns you just piped
  • Take the choux buns out of the freezer and place one craquelin disk on each of them. The craquelin disk should be frozen and very firm at this point, which makes the process of cutting as well as placing them on top of the choux bun easy
  • Pop the tray with the choux buns back to the freezer for 15 min
  • Lower oven temperature to 170 C / 338 F and bake the choux for 40 min. Do not open the oven door in the first 30 min. If you are baking it the first time it is a good idea to take one choux bun out of the oven at 40 min and check its consistency. If it is golden in colour, nicely puffed up, does not deflate on room temperature and the middle of the ball is not raw (it is ok if it's a bit wet, it will dry while cooling down) then it is considered to be done
  • Cool either on the perforated air mat or if baked on parchment papaer, then cool them on cooling rack

Apple Pie filling

  • Peel and cut apples into small pieces, then measure
  • In a saucepan mix apple with sugar, lemon juice and your chosen spice, then cook for about 5 minutes. Let is come to room temp before using it

Whipped mascarpone

  • Whip mascarpone, very cold heavy cream and icing sugar with an Electric hand mixer. until smooth and fluffy, about one or two minutes. Once it has reached the right consistency, do not over beat as it can become runny

Assemble

  • Cut the top of each choux bun
  • Fill choux buns with the Apple Pie filling
  • Prepare the whipped mascarpone frosting as per instructions and pipe on top of each choux bun, I am using Wilton 1m piping nozzle.
  • Decorate the choux buns with some further Apple pie filling in the middle of the frosting
  • They can be stored in the fridge for a day however choux buns are best served straight after filling

Notes

 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 637IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @spatuladesserts or tag #spatuladesserts would love to see your creation on Instagram!
« Choux au craquelin (crispy cream puff)
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  1. Sergio Benigno

    October 31, 2022 at 10:18 pm

    5 stars
    I've just tried these recently and I couldn't be happier! Even it was my first time doing choux, the final result was really good. Thanks to this detailed tutorial I was able to execute this recipe like I've been doing this for years. My only problem now is which one to choose next 😀

    Reply
    • Kata

      November 01, 2022 at 8:45 am

      So happy for your success! Make sure to try some of my other recipes, maybe a tartlet or another choux pastry:)?

      Reply
  2. Natalie

    November 20, 2021 at 7:58 am

    Hi. Would these get soggy if refrigerated for 2 to 3 days?

    Reply
    • Kata

      November 20, 2021 at 10:41 pm

      I do not recommend to fill it 2-3 days ahead. Choux pastry always the best straight (or shortly) after filling.

      Reply
  3. DS

    November 19, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    Hi! How far in advance can this be made?

    Reply
    • Kata

      November 19, 2021 at 6:29 pm

      I recommend to fill it few hours before serving, choux pastry like eclair or this choux au craquelin tend to absorb the moisture = become soggy if filled for too long. The choux balls can be frozen after piping, before baking.

      Reply

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