Burnt Honey Cream Puff
Pâte à Choux, Craquelin, Bee Pollen
Pastry Chef Paul Westin of Choux Maker | Atlanta
Adapted by StarChefs | may 2023
INGREDIENTS
Pâte à Choux:
Yield: 25 medium-sized cream puffs
250 grams butter
250 grams milk
15 grams salt
15 grams sugar
250 grams high-gluten flour, sifted
6 whole eggs
Craquelin:
4 ounces brown sugar
4 ounces softened butter
8 ounces all-purpose flour
Burnt Honey Cream:
Yield: 50 ounces
4 ounces raw honey
1 quart heavy cream
14 ounces white chocolate
4 silver leaf gelatin sheets, bloomed
¼ teaspoon salt
To Assemble and Serve:
Bee pollen
METHOD
For the Pâte à Choux:
In a stock pot over medium flame, bring butter, milk, salt, sugar, and 250 grams water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in flour until a cohesive mass forms. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend until emulsified. Set aside. Return the stock pot to medium heat and cook until the mixture starts to sizzle. Do not scrape the bottom of the pot. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed. Slowly stream in blended eggs, working in batches, until a shaggy dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours.
For the Craquelin:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients until pea-sized crumbles form and can be pressed together. Place dough on a flat surface between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out dough until 2-millimeters thick. Punch out rounds into desired size. Freeze until ready to use.
For the Burnt Honey Cream:
In a small saucepan, bring honey to a boil. Reduce heat and add 2 cups cream. Cook until honey is fully dissolved. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in white chocolate and salt. Let cool 5 minutes. Add gelatin and let bloom. Using an immersion blender, blend mixture, slowly streaming in remaining cream. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate 6 hours, or night.
To Assemble and Serve:
Heat oven to 325°F. Pipe Pâte à Choux into 1-inch tall by 1½-inch wide mounds. Place 1 Craquelin on top of each mound. Place on a sheet tray and bake 20 minutes. Lower heat to 300°F and bake additional 10 minutes. Let cool. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip Burnt Honey Cream until soft peaks form. Pipe 3 ounces Burnt Honey Cream into each cream puff. Top with an additional dollop of Burnt Honey Cream. Finish with a dusting of bee pollen.
