Yuzu Rose Marscarpone Craquelin

Yuzu Rose Mascarpone Craquelin

RECIPE BY AHN NGO ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH CHAN

INGREDIENTS

For the Craquelin crust: ½ stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature ½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup white sugar ⅛ tsp salt Red or Pink gel food coloring ¼ tsp rose water (optional) For the Pâte à Choux pastry: 1 stick unsalted butter 1 cup water 2 tsp white sugar ¼ tsp salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 whole eggs For the Yuzu Mascarpone filling: ¼ cup yuzu puree ½ cup unsweetened milk 2 egg yolks ½ cup granulated sugar – splitted into 2 equal parts ½ tsp gelatin powder 1 tbsp + 1tsp all-purpose flour ½ cup heavy cream 1 cup mascarpone, softened at room temperature 1 lemon, zested

yuzu rose marscapone craquelin

If you’ve ever adored the beauty of distinctly decorative profiteroles with a crackly speckled topping at French pastry shops, look no further. Craquelin, cracker in French, is an easy trick to gussy up your cream puff game.

DIRECTIONS DIRECTIONS

2 hours Cook time:

30 minutes Yields:

30 craquelin puffs

1.

For the Craquelin crust: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar, then add the flour and continue to mix the dough until it’s smooth. Add in the flavoring (rose water) and food coloring, if desired. This step can also be done with a food processor.

Put the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out the dough until it is about ⅛ inch thick. Slide the dough on a baking sheet and freeze the dough.

2.

1. For the Pâte à Choux pastry: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

2.

Combine the butter, water, milk, salt, and granulated sugar together in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly.

Once the butter is melted and small bubbles appear, immediately add in the flour, and fold the dough quickly to prevent the flour from clumping together. Continue stirring until the mixture is no longer sticking to the pan and forms a thick dough. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. At first, the mixture will look separated, but keep mixing until fully incorporated. Transfer the dough into a piping bag.

Pipe the choux pastry into 2-inch mounds. Use a water moistened finger to smooth down the peaks.

Remove the Craquelin crust from the freezer and let it defrost for a minute. Using a round cookie cutter about the same diameter as the puffs, cut out circles of the dough and place them on top of the puffs.

Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 12 more minutes. Do not open the oven door! If the craquelin crust browns too quickly in the oven, cover the whole tray with a sheet of aluminum foil.

When the profiteroles are done, open the oven door and let it cool down gradually for 15 minutes before taking them out. This will prevent the cream puff from shrinking as a result of sudden temperature change. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before piping in the filling.

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4. 5. For the Yuzu Mascarpone filling: In a bowl, mix ½ of the sugar and the egg yolks together. Sift the flour into the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.

In a saucepan, add milk, yuzu puree, lemon zest and bring the mixture just to boiling. Remove from heat and add slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.

Pour the egg mixture through a strainer into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling. Whisk the mixture constantly until it becomes thick.

Remove from heat. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peak. Fold the mascarpone into the custard mixture. Then, fold in the whipped cream and mix well.

Assemble: Cut the profiteroles into halves. Pipe a ring of the creamy filling onto the lower halves, then top it with the upper halves.