Religieuse au chocolat

Craquelin

1. Start by making the craquelin which must spend 30 minutes in the freezer.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar and butter. After the formation of a sandy texture, mix everything together until obtaining a homogeneous dough.
3. Do not knead for too long so as not to develop the gluten.
4. Place the craquelin dough between two sheets of parchment paper and, using a rolling pin, roll it out thinly to a thickness of ⅛ inch (2 to 3 mm).
5. Using the circular cookie cutters, pre-cut 8 circles of 1 inch (3 cm) in diameter, and 8 circles of 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, measurements similar to the future choux.
6. Place the dough in the freezer while making the choux.

Choux pastry

1. Place a bowl in the freezer.
2. In a non-stick saucepan, pour the milk and water.
3. Add the sugar, salt and butter cut into cubes.
4. Place the saucepan over low heat to melt the butter.
5. Stop heating as soon as the butter is melted and there is a very slight boil. The mixture must be at a temperature between 120 F and 140 F (50°C and 60°C).
6. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the flour all at once.
7. Mix vigorously using a wooden spoon, taking care not to leave any lumps, until a dough forms. This dough is called panade.
8. Return the pan to a low heat to dry out the panade. This takes about a minute: the dough should come away from the sides of the pan and start to leave marks on the bottom.
9. Place the panade in the cooled mixing bowl in the freezer and let it cool for 10 minutes.
10. Place the panade in the bowl of a stand mixer then, using the flat beater, incorporate the eggs in 4 batches, mixing for at least 1 minute between each addition.
11. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175°C).
12. Transfer half of the choux pastry into a bag fitted with a plain tip measuring 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter and pipe 8 choux of approximately 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and 8 others of approximately 1 inch (3 cm) in diameter, well spaced, on a perforated silicone baking mat.
13. Remove the craquelin plate from the freezer.
14. Gently peel off the frozen dough circles by hand or using a spatula, and place one on each choux, with light pressure to make them adhere. The 2-inch (5 cm) diameter craquelins must be placed on the 2-inch (5 cm) diameter choux and the 1-inch (3 cm) craquelins on the 1-inch (3 cm) choux.
15. Place in the oven and bake the choux for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the oven, until they are golden brown.
16. Turn off the oven and let them cool completely in the turned off oven, leaving the door open.

Chocolate pastry cream

1. Heat the milk over low heat in a non-stick saucepan.
2. At the same time, in the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk, whiten the egg yolks with the sugar.
3. Add the cornstarch. Gradually pour the hot milk over the blanched eggs.
4. Return everything to the saucepan, and cook until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
5. Remove from heat, add the chocolate and mix well.
6. Cover with plastic wrap, let cool, then place the cream in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Filling of the choux

1. Pierce a small hole under each choux, and fill them with pastry cream using a filling tip.
2. Set aside while preparing the icing.

Icing

1. Prepare the icing after stuffing the choux pastry.
2. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the crème fraîche without boiling it.
4. Pour it over the chocolate previously melted in a bain-marie. Add grapeseed or peanut oil.
5. Dip a large choux in the icing to cover it, removing the excess with the finger, and place it on a wire rack.
6. Do the same with a small choux, and place it on top of the large cabbage. Repeat the operation to make the 8 religieuses.
7. Allow the icing to cool completely and set.

Butter cream

1. Prepare the buttercream by vigorously mixing the soft butter and icing sugar in a bowl.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bag fitted with a small fluted tip.
3. Decorate each religieuse at the base of the little choux, then finish by placing a touch of buttercream on the top.